


EOTW: Book Three: Waning Moon

by Jayie_The_Hufflepuff



Series: Warriors: Series 5.5: Echoes of the War [3]
Category: Warriors - Erin Hunter
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-01
Updated: 2016-03-13
Packaged: 2018-04-07 04:32:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 32
Words: 98,237
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4249419
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jayie_The_Hufflepuff/pseuds/Jayie_The_Hufflepuff
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Third book in the EOTW series. Silentstorm is now a full warrior of ThunderClan. But her hardest struggles are still to come. An old enemy resurfaces, throwing the Clans into chaos and fear. As the waning and waxing of the moon brings doom closer and closer for the Clans, Silentstorm and her Clanmates have to ask themselves – is the warrior code worth dying for?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Allegiances

Waning Moon Allegiances

 

**THUNDERCLAN**

**LEADER**

BRAMBLESTAR - dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes

**DEPUTY**

SQUIRRELFLIGHT - dark ginger she-cat with green eyes (mother of Redkit, a red-brown tabby she-cat with green eyes, foster mother of Sunnykit, a pale ginger she-cat with green eyes, and Shadowkit, a dark brown tabby tom)

**MEDICINE CAT**

JAYFEATHER - gray tabby tom with blind blue eyes

**WARRIORS**

LEAFPOOL - light brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes, former medicine cat  
BIRCHFALL - light brown tabby tom  
    APPRENTICE, LIGHTPAW  
BERRYNOSE - cream-colored tom  
MOUSEWHISKER - gray-and-white tom  
HAZELTAIL – small gray-and-white she-cat  
LIONBLAZE - golden tabby tom with amber eyes  
CINDERHEART - gray tabby she-cat  
    APPRENTICE, SPARKPAW  
FOXLEAP - reddish tabby tom  
TOADSTEP - black-and-white tom  
ROSEPETAL - dark cream she-cat  
BLOSSOMFALL - tortoiseshell and white she-cat  
BUMBLESTRIPE - very pale gray tom with black stripes  
IVYPOOL - silver-and-white tabby she-cat with dark blue eyes  
MOLEFOOT - brown-and-cream tom  
SEEDLIGHT - very pale ginger she-cat  
LILYFROST - dark tabby she-cat with patches  
AMBERTALON - very small gray-and-white she-cat  
SNOWFALL - white tom with amber eyes  
SILENTSTORM - black she-cat with a white stripe  
BLAZEHEART - pale ginger tabby tom with green eyes

**APPRENTICES**

SPARKPAW - dark cream-and-white tom  
LIGHTPAW - light brown tom with white paws  
FINCHPAW - a pale golden tabby tom with white

**QUEENS**

DOVEWING - pale gray she-cat with golden eyes (mother of Ripplekit, a gray tabby tom with blue eyes, and Skykit, a pale tom with a darker stripe)  
DAISY - cream long-furred cat from the horseplace

**ELDERS**

CLOUDTAIL - long-haired white tom with blue eyes  
BRIGHTHEART - white she-cat with ginger patches  
MILLIE - striped gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes  
SPIDERLEG - long-limbed black tom with brown underbelly and amber eyes  
SORRELTAIL - tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat with amber eyes

 

**SHADOWCLAN**

**LEADER**

TIGERSTAR - dark brown tabby tom  
    APPRENTICE, GRAYPAW

**DEPUTY**

OLIVENOSE - tortoiseshell she-cat, mother of Tigerstar's kit (Aspenkit, a torbie she-cat with one yellow eye and one green eye)  
    APPRENTICE, SMOKEPAW

**MEDICINE CAT**

TWIGCLAW - stump-tailed brown tabby tom

**WARRIORS**

VINESCAR – big gray-and-white tabby tom with long scar across his neck  
    APPRENTICE, MINKPAW  
APPLEFUR - mottled brown she-cat  
    APPRENTICE, NIGHTPAW  
MINTLEAF – dark ginger she-cat with ice-blue eyes  
PEPPERPELT – gray tom with darker flecks and yellow eyes  
DAWNPELT – cream-furred she-cat  
    APPRENTICE, STOATPAW  
ODDTAIL – tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat with no tail  
DEWFROST - gray she-cat  
    APPRENTICE, STRIPEDPAW  
SPECKLEFOOT - pale tortoiseshell she-cat  
    APPRENTICE, ADDERPAW  
MARSHCLOUD – small black-and-white she-cat with green eyes

**QUEENS**

BUFFY – long-haired cream she-cat with dark points and blue eyes

**ELDERS**

TOADFOOT - dark brown tom  
RATSCAR - brown tom with long scar across his back

 

**WINDCLAN**

**LEADER**

ASHSTAR - gray she-cat

**DEPUTY**

WEASELFUR - ginger tom with white paws  
     APPRENTICE, TUNNELPAW

**MEDICINE CAT**

KESTRELFLIGHT - mottled brown tom  
    APPRENTICE, ICEFUR

**WARRIORS**

CROWFEATHER - dark gray tom  
     APPRENTICE, HONEYPAW  
HARESPRING - brown-and-white tom  
EMBERFOOT - gray tom with two dark paws  
HEATHERTAIL - light brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes, mother of Breezepelt's kits  
CROUCHFOOT - black tom  
     APPRENTICE, SORRELPAW  
LARKSONG - gray she-cat with green eyes  
SUNSTRIKE - tortoiseshell she-cat with large white mark on her forehead  
DARKBREEZE - dark gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes, kit of Heathertail and Breezepelt  
     APPRENTICE, HAWKPAW  
WETWHISKER - dark tabby tom, formerly of ShadowClan  
QUICKHARE – pale brown tom

**QUEENS**

SEDGEWHISKER - light brown tabby she-cat  
GORSETAIL - very pale gray-and-white she-cat with blue eyes  
NIGHTFERN - brown mottled she-cat with amber eyes, kit of Heathertail and Breezepelt

**RIVERCLAN**

**LEADER**

MISTYSTAR - blue-gray she-cat with blue eyes  
     APPRENTICE, LAKEPAW

**DEPUTY**

REEDWHISKER - black tom

**MEDICINE CAT**

WILLOWSHINE - gray tabby she-cat

**WARRIORS**

DUSKFUR - brown tabby she-cat  
MINNOWTAIL - dark gray she-cat  
MALLOWNOSE - light brown tabby tom  
     APPRENTICE, SWANPAW  
ROBINWING - tortoiseshell-and-white tom  
GRASSPELT - light brown tom  
RUSHTAIL - light brown tabby tom  
HERONSTRIKE – brown tabby tom  
SILVERSHINE - silver tabby she-cat  
LEAFDRIFT - pale gray she-cat  
     APPRENTICE, SLUSHPAW  
PONDBREEZE - dark brown tom with white paws  
YARROWLEAF – gray-brown tabby tom with bright yellow eyes  
FINSTRIKE - sleek dark gray she-cat with dark amber eyes  
EELTOOTH - sleek dark gray tom with pale amber eyes

**QUEENS**

MOSSYFOOT - brown-and-white she-cat  
PETALFUR – gray-and-white she-cat

**ELDERS**

GRAYMIST - pale gray tabby she-cat  
POUNCETAIL - ginger-and-white tom

 

**CATS OUTSIDE THE CLAN**

 

SMOKEY - muscular gray-and-white tom who lives in a barn at the horseplace  
FLOSS - small gray-and-white she-cat who lives at the horseplace  
BREEZE – black tom with amber eyes, formerly of WindClan  
NIGHT – black she-cat, formerly of WindClan  
HOLLOW – dark brown tabby tom, formerly of RiverClan  
ICE – white she-cat with blue eyes, formerly of RiverClan  
SMOKE - black tom, formerly of ShadowClan  
SNOW - pure white she-cat, formerly of ShadowClan  
SHREW - gray she-cat with black feet, formerly of ShadowClan  
TREE - dark brown she-cat, formerly of ShadowClan  
STONE - pale gray tabby tom with blue eyes, formerly of ShadowClan  
PINE - black she-cat, formerly of ShadowClan  
CROW - black-and-white tom, formerly of ShadowClan  
SOL – tortoiseshell tom with pale amber eyes, formerly of SkyClan  
STRIKE – dark ginger tabby tom  
LIGHTNING – light ginger tom  
DRIZZLE – gray spotted tabby tom rogue with pale golden eyes  
STORM – black-and-white she-cat with dark amber eyes  
SPARROW – small white tom with yellow eyes  
SCORCH – huge pale gray she-cat with golden eyes


	2. Prologue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Strange cats meet in the night.

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 3: Waning Moon  
Prologue

     Ferns rustled as dark shapes moved through the pitch-black night. Farther ahead, eyes glowed in the dark, reflecting the light of the moon. The still forms of cats sat, waiting, in a clearing, as the newcomers approached. The newcomers held themselves stiffly, the moonlight tinging silver their bristling pelts, all except for the smooth pelt of their leader.

     The cats waiting in the clearing watched the newcomers with a dangerous glow in their eyes. Finally, one cat spoke, his amber eyes glinting like fire in the dark. “You came.” The black tom sat upon a rock, his tail curled neatly around his paws, outlined by a silver glow from above. Beside him sat an older black she-cat, her amber eyes narrowed chips of flame in the dark.

     “Of course,” the leader of the newcomers purred smoothly. Her gray pelt, turned silver in the moonlight, bore the marks and scars of a recent battle. She lifted one night-black paw, gesturing to her followers. “You gave us a most generous offer after our exile. How could we refuse?”

     “Hmm.” The black, amber-eyed tom stood, kinking his tail in a gesture to approach him. The gray-pelted leader and her cats approached him slowly, bowing their heads with respect. All around the clearing, cats watched, their eyes gleaming with interest. There were cats everywhere; lying together in clumps, sitting near the edge of the clearing, strewn across rocks, sitting beside ferns. The clearing didn't seem large enough to hold so many forms.

     Once all of the newcomers stood before the black tom, he raised his chin, calling out to every cat in the clearing, “Behold our newest recruits! Driven from ShadowClan for being loyal, for following the warrior code, punished for doing what they were raised to! Behold this new failure of the Clans!”

     Rumbles began to ripple through the crowd. Cats were growling, low and soft, echoing around the clearing. The black tom continued, “The Clans guard the warrior code as if it were the answer to every problem they face. They built everything around it, and that is their failure. The warrior code is a shamble, a lie. The young of a Clan are promised protection, but must fend for themselves. The weak are sheltered and coddled while the strong are fed last. Borders are to be guarded with your life, but are crossed frequently and without punishment.” He waved his tail, rumbling, “Many of the cats here trained with warriors of old to become stronger, braver warriors for their Clan. And how were you rewarded?”

     “With exile,” a dark tabby growled. The tom bore a terrible scar across his shoulder, an ugly gash that parted his fur.

     The gray she-cat nodded in agreement. “All I ever tried to do was make my Clan strong again, and they betrayed me. I realized then that there is no honor among the Clans, and the warrior code is not worth defending.”

     The black tom dipped his head to both cats. “Exactly! The Clans are so afraid of strong, loyal warriors that they cast them out!” He lifted his chin, growling, “The Dark Forest taught us one thing – only the strong will survive. The days of the Clans are numbered. They pander to the weak, they beg each other for help like mewling kits. These liars and traitors to their own code will not be tolerated.”

     The rumbling had risen in volume, growls rising into hisses and yowls. Cats were thumping their paws against the ground, adding to the cacophony of angry noise. “Drive them out!” a white she-cat yowled. The newcomers seemed to flinch away from the onslaught of sound.

     “Enough,” the black tom mewed calmly. The clearing fell silent almost instantly. The black tom looked down upon the newcomers, explaining, “We are not a Clan. Clans are a disgrace to the name of every good cat. We are the cast-out warriors, the branded traitors, the rogues and kittypets persecuted by the Clans, we are the outcasts and lesser-thans that the Clans continue to punish. If you are to join us, you are to cast off your warrior names, the shameful titles that bind you to your Clan.”

     The gray she-cat dipped her head. “We are willing to give up our names and follow you,” she told the tom.

     “Good.” The black tom glanced into the crowd, announcing, “I have built this group up from kittypets, warriors, rogues, barn cats. Even cowards.” His gaze fixed on a thin, tortoiseshell form. “Sol.” The tom seemed to flinch away from his name, but his pale yellow gaze soon grew calm again. “Tell our new recruits how you came to be with us.”

     Sol hesitated, then rose to his paws, telling the newcomers, “I once joined another Clan, a Clan who lives far from your lake.” Some of the warriors acted with surprise, but the gray-pelted she-cat stayed still, listening calmly. “All I ever wanted was to be a loyal warrior, but they refused to give me my warrior name and cast me out. So I came here to exact my revenge upon the Clans for their failure to uphold their own code.” He hesitated, flicking an ear towards the black tom as he added, “But I failed, and then he found me.”

     The black tom's tail flicked in amusement. “Ah, you're a cowardly old snake,” he sneered at Sol, “but he did open my eyes. He taught me that the Clans are traitors to their own code, and must be made to pay for it. And I was not alone in learning that lesson.” He looked out into the crowd again, looking at the dark tabby and white she-cat. “Hollow, Ice, you fought beside me in the Dark Battle, and you were punished for upholding the strength of your Clan.”

     Hollow curled his lip, while Ice sneered, “The Clans are weak. The Dark Forest taught us strength. I can't believe I was ever happy as a warrior.”

     “The Clans fooled us all, and betrayed us all,” the black tom rumbled. He turned once more to the newcomers, announcing, “Now, the time has come for these cats to truly join us.”

     The tom leaped down from the rock, coming to stand before the gray she-cat. He called out, “Shrewfoot, do you promise to devote yourself to the eradication of the warrior code, and to ridding the good cats of this lake of the plague that is the Clans?”

     Shrewfoot lifted her chin, growling, “I do.”

     “Then I free you of your warrior name. Shrewfoot, you are now Shrew. Serve us well in the battles to come.”

     The newly named Shrew lifted her head, eyes glinting as she vowed, “I will, Breeze.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's our prologue. Not much to say, other than more will come soon, and I hope this starts to give you some idea of how this book is gonna go.
> 
> Next chapter will be in Silentstorm's POV. There is no time skip for this book, though this prologue actually takes place a little after the next chapter.


	3. Chapter One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Silentstorm awakes from her nightmare.

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 3: Waning Moon  
Chapter One

      _“My name is Shade.”_

     Silentstorm jolted awake, gasping for breath. It took the she-cat a few moments to calm enough to remember where she was. She was in the warrior's den, surrounded by her new denmates.

     Slowly, the warrior calmed herself, slowing her breathing and relaxing her ruffled pelt. The night before, she and her brother Blazepaw had been given their warrior names. Blazeheart slept beside her now, curled against her back, his sides rising and falling peacefully. They'd come to the den after their vigil ended to get more sleep. When they'd first come in, the den seemed to be overflowing with sleeping warriors. But now there were only a few cars besides her and her brother.

     Silentstorm's heart clenched with horror as she recalled the cause of her panicked awakening. For the third time, she had found herself in the Dark Forest in her dreams, with the strange, mist-like creature taunting her. This time, she had learned the creature's name. _Shade._

     Shade had said she'd brought Silentstorm to the Dark Forest because she'd wanted to meet her, the Silent One, whatever that meant. That dream had finally given Silentstorm some answers, but through those answers, a hundred new questions had sprung. What was the Silent One? Why was Shade so interested in her? And why drag her into the Dark Forest in the first place?

     With a sigh, Silentstorm rose to her paws, shaking out her pelt. _Oh well. Worry about it later._ She was careful not to disturb her sleeping brother as she padded away, slipping silently out of the den.

     The air was crisp with cold as she left the den. Feather-soft snow crunched quietly under her paws and numbed her paw pads. The snow no longer fell from the sky, but judging by how much of it she felt under her paws, plenty of it was still covering the ground. All around, cats were moving, preparing for the next set of patrols. With a jolt, Silentstorm realized she had slept straight to sunhigh.

     She made her way to the fresh-kill pile. The prey was dusted with a thin layer of snow, leftover from the night's snowfall. Silentstorm grabbed a shrew off the pile, shaking the snow off the creature before carrying it off to the fallen beech, curling up against the mossy bark as she began eating. The she-cat curled her lip at the taste of wet fur, but managed to get past it as she dug in.

     As the new warrior ate, she heard approaching pawsteps. “Finally awake, are you?” a familiar voice mewed gruffly.

     Silentstorm's whiskers twitched with amusement. “Morning, Jayfeather,” she greeted. She wave her tail, beckoning for the medicine cat to join her.

     Jayfeather sat beside her, his back to the fallen beech. He lifted one paw and began to wash, commenting, “You never got your wounds checked last night. How are they feeling?”

     The warrior had nearly forgotten that she'd been injured. Before she'd earned her warrior name, she'd fought Shrewfoot and her followers, who had rebelled against their leader, Tigerstar. Shrewfoot had been defeated, and she and her followers had been driven from ShadowClan. Silentstorm knew that if she ever encountered the smug she-cat again, it would be too soon.

     Silentstorm twisted her head around, sniffing at her pelt. “I'm fine, mostly,” she assured Jayfeather. “A lot of clawmarks, but nothing too deep. Except Snowbird hurt my leg again.”

     “Hmm.” Jayfeather leaned forward, sniffing at her half-healed wound from a previous battle. “Looks like she re-opened it. And I don't like the looks of that throat wound either, I think you've been putting too much strain on it. I'll get a poultice for them.”

     The tom padded away, his pawsteps muffled by the snow. He returned a few moments later with his jaws full of herbs. Jayfeather worked in silence, chewing up a mass of herbs and mixing it into a poultice. As he began smearing the poultice onto her leg, he chided her, “You should have gotten these seen to last night. Sitting out in the snow all night didn't help anything.”

     “It's not like I could skip my vigil,” Silentstorm pointed out, whiskers twitching. She tried not to gag as Jayfeather moved away from her leg and smeared stinking goop onto her throat. “Besides, it's not that bad.”

     “Mousebrained warrior,” Jayfeather grunted, but there was a tinge of pride to his tone. “"You're as bad as your father. Before his power really kicked in, he used to take off the poultices for his wounds because he wanted them to scar."

     Silentstorm _mrowrred_ in laughter. "That sounds like Lionblaze," she laughed. "I bet you weren't much better as a young cat, grumpywhiskers." Jayfeather laid a layer of cobwebs over her winds, clinging to her pelt and keeping the poultice on. Silentstorm flexed her leg experimentally, giving a nod when the poultice stayed in place.

     Jayfeather snorted, "At least I had enough sense to get my wounds seen to." He tipped his head, adding after a moment of thought, "Usually by myself, but still." There was a brief pause, then Jayfeather pressed his muzzle against Silentstorm's neck, the gruffness gone from his new as he said, "I'm very proud of you. You made a hard call, and you fought from your heart. I always knew you would make a great warrior one day."

     Silentstorm closed her eyes, purring, "Thanks, Jayfeather." She was surprised for a moment how Jayfeather's head only just seemed to reach her chin. When had she grown taller and stronger than the small tom?

     For a moment, she considered telling Jayfeather about her dreams. Maybe he knew more about Shade. But just as soon as she thought of it, she rejected the idea. He would have spoken of such a creature like Shade far earlier if he knew about her. If she told him about her dreams, and he told the Clan, it would only send them into a panic about the Dark Forest returning, when she wasn't even sure that was what was happening. If he didn't tell the Clan, he might try to investigate himself. Silentstorm wasn't even sure she could take Shade, whatever she was, in a fight, but at least she was strong enough to handle herself in a fight. Her small, untrained kin would be torn apart if Shade was truly as dangerous as she claimed.

     Quickly, the warrior changed her train of thought, shoving Shade and any thoughts about her out of her mind, so Jayfeather wouldn't notice them. Jayfeather had paused, head tilted curiously. After a moment, he turned away, flicking an ear. “Send your brother my way when he wakes up,” Jayfeather mewed as he rose to his paws, shaking snow from his pelt. “I should check his wounds as well. And you should check with Squirrelflight when you're done heating. She'll probably want you for patrols.”

     The medicine cat padded away, leaving Silentstorm to finish her meal. She licked up the last scraps of shrew, then cleaned her lips and paws clean before standing. Most of the warriors had already left for sunhigh patrols – Silentstorm was easily able to pick out Squirrelflight's scent. The deputy sat on the ground in front of the High Ledge, talking to a few warriors.

     “Squirrelflight.” The deputy looked up as Silentstorm approached, giving a small nod of greeting. “Do you need me for any patrols?”

     Squirrelflight tipped her head thoughtfully before meowing, “Actually, would you mind taking Lightpaw and Sparkpaw hunting? Cinderheart and Birchfall are both needed for border patrols.”

     Silentstorm dipped her head respectfully, trying to hide a surge of pride at being placed in charge of apprentices. “Yes, Squirrelflight.” She turned and padded off, heading back to the bramble-draped cave that made the apprentice's den.

     Lightpaw and Sparkpaw sat just outside the den, where Blazeheart and she had used to sit and eat prey. Both toms looked up as Silentstorm approached them. “Squirrelflight wants me to take you hunting,” Silentstorm informed the toms. For a moment, she felt almost awkward at the order. Only last night, these two had been her denmates and equals. Now she outranked them. Would they really respect her as a full warrior, or only see Silentpaw?

     Almost immediately, Lightpaw dipped his head, mewing respectfully, “Yes Silentstorm.” Her mother's apprentice was quiet, and painfully shy, but he was a nice enough tom, and a friend. Silentstorm was glad to have his respect as a warrior.

     Silentstorm waited cautiously for Sparkpaw's response. She and Sparkpaw had never exactly seen eye to eye, and he had all but called her a traitor after she'd returned from helping RiverClan. He might object to having to take orders from a cat he saw as a traitor. But to her surprise, he simply nodded without argument, asking calmly, “Where are we going?”

     The warrior thought it over for a moment. “How about we follow the old Thunderpath to the abandoned twoleg nest?” Sparkpaw gave a short nod of acceptance.

     More assured now, Silentstorm led her charges away from the den, taking them through the bramble entrance and out into the snow-draped woods.

     Silentstorm tried to ignore how the snow clung to her leg fur in thick, icy clumps, leaving her legs wet, and numb with cold. All around her, the air was so frigid and crisp with cold that she could feel her warm breath swirl into mist in front of her muzzle. The forest hadn't been this cold since Silentstorm could remember.

     She had hoped a day of hunting would drive Shade from her mind, but the memory of her dream haunted her even in the clear morning air of the woods. What was the Silent One? What did Shade want with her? Was she a danger to ThunderClan? Every step she took brought a new question, and she had answers for none of them. Her mind was hazy with worry, the dream constantly at the forefront of her mind, even as she tried to ignore it. She almost wished she was still in the Dark Forest, if only to drag more answers out of that smug mist-creature.

     The warrior was brought out of her thoughts by a sound behind her. Lightpaw had given a sharp _huff_ of air as he shivered, tail and ears drooping as they walked along. Silentstorm's mood lightened considerably, and she commented with amusement, “Nice day for hunting, huh?”

     “Sure,” Lightpaw muttered, ducking his head against a blast of cold wind. “I don't know what prey would want to be out today, anyway. If I were a squirrel, I'd have collected some acorns and found some nice little tree hollow to sleep in all day.”

     Sparkpaw pointed out wryly, “You better hope that squirrel forgot an acorn or two. If we can't find any prey, we can't feed the Clan.” The scruffy-pelted tom shook out his fur, seeming unconcerned by the freezing air. Silentstorm felt a pang of envy for his thick coat – her own thin pelt offered little protection against the cold. “Leafbare's only just begun. It'll be a long time before hunting's easy again.”

     Silentstorm nodded slowly in agreement. “The way all the older warriors talk, last leafbare was worse than the Dark Battle, and killed even more cats. Leafbare doesn't just mean harder hunting – it also means more illness, and fewer herbs to cure it. Last leafbare, we were nearly wiped out by greencough, and Jayfeather had no herbs to cure any cat with.” Silentstorm's thought strayed to Lichenkit, the littermate she barely remembered who had succumbed to greencough. The only memories she had of her lost sister were vague rememberings of a warm pelt pressed against hers and soft mewling. For what felt like the first time, she felt a pang of regret, and curiosity. What would it have been like to have a sister? Would she have stood proud beside Silentstorm and Blazeheart as she earned her warrior name?

     “At least Jayfeather has his catmint patch at the twoleg nest this time,” Lightpaw pointed out. “As long as he keeps that healthy, we'll be fine.”

     Sparkpaw snorted, “If the frost doesn't kill it first.” He paused, ears flicking at a nearby rustling, only to relax when it was only the wind. “I'll be interested to see what the leaders say at the next Gathering,” he went on, ducking as he padded under a snow-dusted fern. “After everything that happened with the battle and Shrewfoot, Tigerstar's going to want to prove ShadowClan is as strong as ever. We should keep a careful eye on our borders – there's no telling what he'll do to prove himself.”

     Silentstorm rolled her eyes. Trust Sparkpaw's first instinct to be to prepare for battle. Though with all the fighting between ThunderClan and ShadowClan the last few moons, she supposed she couldn't exactly blame him. “I feel like Tigerstar's honestly going to try and be a wiser, less aggressive leader now,” she said carefully. “But you're right. ShadowClan lost nearly half their cats after that battle. If nothing else, I wonder how they'll possibly survive leafbare with so few hunting warriors.”

     The younger tom paused, tail-tip flicking warily. “Not planning on running off to play Clan savior again, are you?” Sparkpaw asked stiffly.

     “Hardly,” Silentstorm mewed impatiently. “Once was enough. But it would hardly be fair to let loyal warriors starve because they had enough sense to drive out their traitors.”

     Sparkpaw argued, “It's not our responsibility to make sure ShadowClan kits are fed. We have our own warriors to worry about.” Lightpaw had fallen behind, trailing behind the arguing cats with his ears flattened uncomfortably.

     “I'm not saying we should let our own cats starve to makes sure the other Clans are fed,” Silentstorm sniffed. The brief period of truce had fallen away, and the former denmates had fallen back into their familiar bickering. But their words didn't carry the aggressive bite they'd had after Silentstorm's return from RiverClan – they were irritated, but not angry. It was even managing to drive Shade out of her thoughts. “We should look out for our own first. But once our own cats are cared for, there's no reason we shouldn't help the other Clans too, It builds alliances, which is always a good thing, and it ensures that no Clan cat goes hungry. We all follow the same code – why is a ThunderClan kit any more deserving of prey than a ShadowClan or WindClan kit?”

     “I don't mean that they deserve to starve,” Sparkpaw snapped. “But each Clan has their own warriors for a reason; it's their responsibility to make sure their Clan is fed, that's what they're there for, that's why the founders made sure warriors fed the Clan first and ate last. It is not the responsibility of the warriors of one Clan to make sure the cats of another Clan are fed.” He shook his pelt out, sniffing, “Clans getting too involved in the affairs of other Clans only ever causes trouble, anyway.”

     Silentstorm flattened her ears, asking pointedly, “Oh, fighting the Dark Forest together was a bad idea? Six cats leaving their Clans to travel together to the sun-drown place only ever caused trouble?” Sparkpaw looked away, growling, but he didn't respond. “The Clans should be separate, I agree, but not completely isolated from each other. There are so many times in the history of our Clans when we never would have survived if we hadn't banded together. Sometimes, the Clans really do need each other to survive.”

     “If Silentstorm and the others hadn't gone to help Olivenose, Shrewfoot would have taken over ShadowClan,” Lightpaw pointed out meekly, much to Silentstorm's surprise. The painfully shy tom hardly ever spoke up when Silentstorm and his brother were bristling and arguing at each other. “Sometimes interfering is a good thing.”

     Sparkpaw admitted, “Yes, sometimes the Clans have to fight a common enemy together, or ally themselves for one battle or another. But if there are to be times to ignore Clan borders to help others, I don't believe they should be left to you, Silentstorm.” The she-cat pinned her ears flat against her head, a low growl rumbling in her throat, but Sparkpaw didn't waver. “It never ends well when one warrior tries to take the warrior code into her own paws. You have far too many friends outside the Clan – it clouds your judgment.”

     Lightpaw froze, glancing between the fighting cats, tail-tip quivering fearfully. He seemed to utterly fear how Silentstorm would react to the blunt assessment of her character. Luckily, she knew Sparkpaw well enough by now to recognize that he hadn't meant it as an insult, he had been speaking his honest fears about her past conduct. And after everything she'd done with running away to help RiverClan, she couldn't entirely blame him.

     Instead of blowing up at him, she just snorted, “And you've never had a friend outside the Clan – that clouds _your_ judgment. Being over-isolated can be just as bad as being over-socialized.”

     Sparkpaw just shook his head with a sigh, the will to argue seeming to deflate out of him. “Whatever. I'm going to try and find some mice.” The apprentice turned and stalked off, tail lashing irritably as he disappeared through the ferns.

     Silentstorm listened to him go, snorting irritably. Her own annoyance was fading now, leaving her just mildly irritated. Behind her, Lightpaw let out a slow breath, meowing softly, “I'm sorry about that.”

     “Oh, don't bother,” Silentstorm snorted, annoyance fading into amusement. “If you were going to apologize every time Sparkpaw was a tactless mousebrain, you'd fall dead of exhaustion trying to keep up with him.” She shook her head, adding, “He's not even that bad anymore. I think he's mellowing in his old age.”

     To her surprise, that actually got a purr of amusement from the subdued tom. “I guess,” he mewed. He hesitated, then asked quietly, “Do you really think we should help ShadowClan?”

     Silentstorm hesitated, thinking it over for a moment. “It might come to that,” she mewed slowly. “But right now, I hate to say it, your brother is right. I can't remember the last time the fresh-kill pile looked full enough. Dovewing and Squirrelflight's kits are thinner than they should be at their age. Our first concern needs to be ThunderClan for now. But if ShadowClan really is struggling for life, I really do think we should step in to help.”

     Lightpaw nodded slowly. “I think you're right,” he admitted quietly. “Shrewfoot's gone, but that doesn't mean the Clans will never face any danger every again and it's going to be all peace from here on in. We have to prepare for a hard leafbare, and I don't know that ShadowClan is ready to face the hard season with so few cats.”

     The new warrior sighed, nodding quietly. “Shrewfoot's defeat wasn't the end of the problems our Clans face,” she agreed in a low murmur. She felt a twinge of fear as wind swirled around her, bringing back memories of the misty Shade creature. “We'll just have to be ready for whatever comes next.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmm, not entirely happy with this chapter, but whatever.
> 
> Not sure what I was going to say about it either. XD So this will be short.
> 
> Next chapter will be Gathering time, and I'm going to change things up a little bit by having both Blazeheart and Silentstorm's POVs throughout the chapter. This is not a thing I'm going to use often, and I hope this will be the only instance I use it, but honestly, I need both their perspectives for next chapter. And there is a precedent for it in the Warriors books - I forget which chapter, but at a Gathering in Midnight, there's a chapter where it switches between Leafpaw and Brambleclaw's POVs.


	4. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Gathering has come again.

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 3: Waning Moon  
Chapter Two

     The full moon shine bright and clear over the snowy forest. Four days had passed since Blazeheart and his sister had been made full warriors, and now the time for the Gathering had come again.

     In that time, for once, things had been peaceful. Hunting was still hard, but there had been no sign of Shrewfoot and her warriors, Tigerstar's warriors hadn't been scented past their borders, and no other surprises had presented themselves. Blazeheart was starting to tentatively hope that the Clans might finally be getting a break.

     Blazeheart followed his Clanmates through the forest, ducking past a snowy fern, shivering uncomfortably as he brushed against it and a light dusting of snow fell against his pelt. Bramblestar was leading a patrol of his cats to the Gathering island. They were nearly at the edges of ThunderClan territory.

     Silentstorm was padding beside her brother, and Ambertalon was on his other side. Unfortunately, Snowfall hadn't been one of the cats chosen to attend the Gathering. Blazeheart had promised to tell him all about it when he returned.

     The three cats walked along in silence for a while. Blazeheart could tell that there was something weighing on his sister's mind. Silentstorm was unusually somber in expression, her gray eyes dark with some distant thought. “What're you thinking about?” the tom asked curiously.

     Silentstorm nearly jumped. Clearly, Blazeheart had startled her out of whatever thoughts she'd been immersed in. “Nothing,” the she-cat mewed hastily, clearly trying to school her expression into one of casual cheer. Having never seen what a guilty expression looked like, Silentstorm had never been very good at hiding one, or hiding any emotion in her expressions.

     Blazeheart gave her a disbeliving glare. “Whatever you say,” he mewed, shaking his head. If his sister was really worried about something, it was her own business if she wanted to tell Blazeheart or not. Instead of prying, he changed the subject. “I wonder how ShadowClan has been doing since the battle.”

     “Yeah, it'll be interesting to see what Tigerstar has to say after everything that's happened,” Ambertalon mewed, amber eyes flashing in the moon-lit night. “Or if he'll start a fight, like he always does.”

     Silentstorm seemed to brighten as she threw herself into the conversation. She shook her head, saying, “I don't know, he really seemed willing to turn it around and be a better leader after the battle. I think he's honestly going to make an effort, now.”

     Ambertalon shrugged. “Whatever. I just wish I'd been at the battle with you two. I would've given that smug, mouse-hearted coward some decent scars to remember me by.”

     Silentstorm purred in amusement. “I think Tigerstar gave her plenty of those already.”

     “Yeah, she was bleeding well enough when she ran from the camp with her tail between her legs,” Blazeheart mewed, tone light with laughter.

     “I think Olivenose gave her at least half of those wounds,” Silentstorm commented, whiskers twitching. “She was fighting like TigerClan out there.”

     Blazeheart replied, “I just hope she didn't get too badly injured. She looked like she was ready to give birth any day now.”

     “Oh, she's probably fine,” Silentstorm mewed dismissively. “She definitely looked like she could handle herself, kits or no kits.”

     The tom just gave a nod in reply, purring. It felt good to have his sister back, to be able to truly talk to her again, and joke with her. After the tension of the last few moons, it was such a relief to be able to fall so easily back into their banter and closeness.

     It didn't take long for the patrol to pass into WindClan territory. Gone were the snow-draped trees and ferns of the forest. The whole moorland looked like a flat, white expanse of white, only broken by the gentle dips and rises of hills. A long string of pawprints stretched out behind the ThunderClan patrol as they made their way through the moor.

     As they passed the horseplace, Ambertalon looked up, sniffing in the direction of the vast twoleg den. “I wonder if Floss had her kits yet,” the tiny gray she-cat mewed thoughtfully. “It's been long enough.”

     “Probably,” Blazeheart mewed. “I doubt we'll see them for a while – it's probably too cold for such young kits to be out in the snow.” There weren't any horses or other creatures out either – he guessed the twolegs thought the snow was too cold for them.

     They moved past the horseplace, finally making it to the pebble-bridge. Blazeheart stiffened as he saw the snow dusting the top of the bridge. “Will we be able to cross safely?” he wondered aloud, staring uneasily at the pebble-bridge.

     “I'm sure we'll be fine,” Ambertalon assured him.

     Towards the front of the patrol, Bramblestar lifted his chin, announcing to his Clanmates, “Cross slowly, and be careful.” He crossed first, padding slowly and confidently across the pebble-bridge, reaching the opposite shore with ease.

     Now that Bramblestar had crossed, the rest of the patrol began one-by-one following his lead. Ambertalon went before Blazeheart, padding across easily with her head and tail held high. Then, it was Blazeheart's turn. He hesitated, reaching out a pale ginger paw to touch the snowy pebble bridge. The snow crunched lightly under his paw, but didn't make it slip, so he shifted his weight onto that paw, then followed with the rest of his paws. He crossed carefully and slowly, making sure each step was secure before he moved on. Finally, he reached the island, hurrying gratefully onto solid land.

     Ambertalon's whiskers twitched. She purred, clearly amused, “Jumpy much, Blazeheart?”

     He shook out his pelt. “Just didn't feel like slipping into an ice-cold lake,” he mewed.

     Silentstorm joined them on the island a few moments later, tail lifted confidently. “Come on, slowpaws,” she purred, nudging Blazeheart heartily with her shoulder. “Let's go see who else is here.”

     The three warriors padded past the ferns, making their way further into the island. Cats were gathered in small clumps, their breath misting as they chatted quietly together. The frosty leafbare air seemed to compel cats to group together in warm clumps. From the scents, only RiverClan and ShadowClan were there yet.

     Silentstorm lifted her chin, ears flicking around as she tried to locate cats. “Come on, I want to find Eeltooth.” She led her brother and Clanmate through the crowd, searching for her friends.

     It didn't take long to find Silentstorm's friends. Eeltooth was huddled with a group of warriors, ShadowClan and RiverClan both. The cats all looked up when the ThunderClan warriors approached, Eeltooth's ears perking. “Hey, Silentpaw,” the gray warrior greeted in a gruff mew. Blazeheart saw an ugly, half-healed scar on the tom's hind leg from the battle with Shrewfoot.

     Siletnstorm threw back her head, looking offended. “Silentpaw? Who's this Silentpaw? It's Silent _storm_ , thank you very much.” Blazeheart recognized her words as being almost the same Eeltooth had used when he'd told her his warrior name.

     Eeltooth's amber eyes lit up with surprise, then softened into joy. “Warriors already, eh? Good for you.” He stood, stretching out his muzzle to touch his nose to Silentstorm's.

     “Blazeheart and I were made warriors after the battle,” Silentstorm explained, purring brightly.

     The tom's whiskers twitched. “The night it was snowing? Must have been a fun vigil. At least Finstrike and I had our vigil in late greenleaf.”

     Blazeheart shuddered. “I think my entire body went numb at one point. I'm still trying to get feeling back in my paws.”

     Eeltooth purred in amusement as Silentstorm and Blazeheart sat, joining the group of warriors. Blazeheart recognized a few of the RiverClan warriors, but to his surprise, some of the ShadowClan cats were not only unfamiliar, but utterly strange in appearance. The gray speckled tom didn't look too strange, but the tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat he was with looked like no cat Blazeheart had ever seen before. She had a boxy, stocky build, with her rump raised higher than her back. Strangest of all was her tail – rather, the fact that she lacked a tail entirely. Not even a bitten-off stump, or any scars to suggest that it had been removed or lost.

     The she-cat seemed to notice that Blazeheart was staring. Instead of looking offended, she greeted him with a friendly, “Hi there! I'm Oddtail, who are you?”

     Blazeheart tried not to look too surprised at the name. “I'm Blazeheart, and this is my sister Silentstorm.” He waved his tail towards his sister to indicate her. The tom hesitated, then mewed, “I don't think I've seen you at the Gathering before.” The more he looked at them, the more the two cats seemed strange. Their pelts were totally smooth and soft, free of any scars, or indications of the hard life of wild cats. They looked far too well-fed to be Clan cats in the middle of leafbare, and Blazheart thought he could smell the faintest traces of twolegs from their pelts, beneath the stronger smell of ShadowClan. _Kittypets?_ he wondered.

     Oddtail hesitated, swapping a glance with the gray speckled tom. “Yeah, well, we just haven't been around for it, I guess,” the speckled tom said in a soft mew. “Tigerstar will explain everything soon.”

     That only made Blazeheart more confused, but he just shrugged in response. “Alright.”

     The more he looked around the clearing, the more he realized it wasn't just Oddtail and her speckled friend. There were more of these smooth-pelted cats dotting the island, huddled in groups with other warriors.

     A group of apprentices passed Blazeheart's group. A massive warrior walked with the group, almost seeming to supervise. The tom was unfamiliar to Blazeheart, but there was no way he'd ever been a kittypet. He was simply huge, his gray tabby-and-white pelt marked by a mess of scars, including a huge, ugly scar that stretched across the side of the tom's neck.

     Blazeheart was so distracted by the massive tom that he almost didn't notice the apprentices. There were a few ShadowClan and RiverClan apprentices mixed in, and Sparkpaw was with them, though he looked wary. He didn't recognize some of the younger ShadowClan apprentices, but one of them was even stranger than Oddtail in appearance. She was a ginger tabby with the same smooth pelt and well-fed belly that these new ShadowClan cats seemed to have, but the strangest thing of all were her legs. The young she-cat had a body a bit longer than a usual cat, and legs so short that her belly fur brushed against the ground as she stood at her full height. Blazeheart couldn't help but gape at the odd-looking cat. She seemed more weasel than cat with her short legs. The she-cat waddled after the other apprentices, keeping up despite her strange legs.

     Oddtail followed Blazeheart's gaze, amber eyes lit up with amusement. “That's Stoatpaw,” she told Blazeheart. “I know we look odd to you, but sometimes twolegs breed their cats to look different from other cats. I think it makes us look more unique.”

     Blazeheart wasn't sure he liked the idea of twolegs breeding cats, but his curiosity was getting the better of him. “So you were kittypets?”

     All Oddtail sad in reply was, “Just wait. Tigerstar will explain everything.”

     “Silentpaw.”

     The she-cat turned, ears flicking to the sound of her name. She was surprised when she recognized the mew. “Specklefoot,” she purred in reply, standing. She padded over to greet the she-cat, leaving her brother and the strange new cats behind as she touched noses with Specklefoot. “It's Silentstorm, now.”

     Specklefoot's ear flicked in surprise. “Congratulations,” she purred.

     “Thanks. How's the prey running?”

     “Better, now that Shrewfoot isn't stealing all of it,” the ShadowClan warrior mewed. Silentstorm was surprised to hear how friendly her mew was. In the past, Specklefoot had been mostly suspicious of the ThunderClan she-cat, but now it seemed that the battle, and how Silentstorm had put herself on the line to help ShadowClan, had abated her suspicion. “And it's a good thing too, because we have a new kit to feed. Olivenose gave birth the night of the battle.”

     Silentstorm's ears shot forward in surprise. “Really? Is she okay?”

     “She's fine,” Specklefoot assured her. “She had one little daughter, Aspenkit. She's really cute.” She paused, then spoke again in a more somber tone. “Listen, Silentstorm, I really wanted to thank you. You would have been completely in your rights to chase me and Olivenose out of camp, after everything that Shrewfoot did. Thank you for believing, and for helping our Clan.”

     The ThunderClan warrior dipped her head. “Of course. All I ever wanted was peace between the Clans.” She hesitated, then mewed, “I was just hanging out with some friends. Would you like to join us?”

     Specklefoot hesitated as well, then gave a firm nod. “That sounds nice, thanks.” She allowed herself to be led by Silentstorm back to the clump of warriors with Blazeheart and Eeltooth. Oddtail and her Clanmates had wandered off, as well as the other RiverClan cats, leaving Blazeheart and Eeltooth alone.

     Both toms looked up as Silentstorm rejoined them. “Hey, this is Specklefoot,” she mewed, waving her tail towards the ShadowClan she-cat. “Specklefoot, this is my brother Blazeheart, and Eeltooth of RiverClan.”

     “It's nice to meet you,” Specklefoot said in a clear tone.

     Eeltooth waved his tail in greeting. “Nice to meet you as well.” He flicked an ear towards Silentstorm's brother as he mewed, “Blazeheart and I were just saying there's a lot of strange ShadowClan cats here tonight. Know anything about that?”

     Specklefoot just mewed, “Tigerstar wants to make the announcement himself.”

     Silentstorm was about to ask more when she was nearly tackled from behind. “Silentpaw!” She scrambled away, relaxing only when she recognized the mew of her best friend.

     “Darkbreeze!” She butted her head against the WindClan warrior's head. “How's the prey running?” She heard more WindClan cats flooding into the island, exchanging greetings with other warriors.

     “Not too fast to catch,” Darkbreeze purred in return. “It's great to see you again, especially after the battle. How are your wounds healing?”

     Silentstorm replied, “Pretty well. And it's not Silentpaw anymore.” She drew up her chin proudly, purring, “I'm Silentstorm, and he's Blazeheart.”

     Darkbreeze's purr sounded loud as a LionClan warrior's roar. “You're warriors? That's great!” She sat with the other warriors, adding, “We'll have to meet up and have that feast we were talking about. Say, four nights from now?”

     “You got it,” Silentstorm said. She noticed Specklefoot watching the two she-cats, tail-tip twitching strangely, as if she was surprised by how close the enemy warriors were. Silentstorm flicked an ear towards Specklefoot, adding, “Darkbreeze, I don't know whether you've met Specklefoot?”

     The warrior's ears flicked forward with interest. “Oh yeah, we fought in the battle together. You were great when you clawed that gray tabby up to pieces.”

     Specklefoot seemed a bit overwhelmed by Darkbreeze's friendly greeting, but soon regained her footing. “And you sent Pinenose running with a great swipe,” she complimented.

     As Specklefoot joined more easily into the conversation with Silentstorm's friends, Silentstorm was distracted by a yowl from above. “The Gathering has begun!” Ashstar called out to the cats down below. The crowd fell instantly silent, waiting for the announcements of the leaders.

     Ashstar waited until every cat was silent, then mewed, “WindClan has done well this moon. We have four new apprentices, Sorrelpaw, Tunnelpaw, Hawkpaw, and Honeypaw. We also have a new warrior – Quickpaw is now Quickhare.”

     Cheers rose from the crowd. “Sorrelpaw! Tunnelpaw! Hawkpaw! Honeypaw! Quickhare!” Silentstorm was surprised – last she checked, Quickhare was just a bit too young to be made a warrior. What had pushed Ashstar to rush his warrior ceremony? Was WindClan really doing as well as she said?

     Mistystar was next. She held her head high, calling out to the Clans below, “We have two new apprentices this moon – Swanpaw and Slushpaw!”

     Cats began to cheer, Silentstorm lending her own voice to the mix, cheering for the kits she'd gotten to know in her stay at RiverClan. “Swanpaw! Slushpaw! Swanpaw! Slushpaw!” Even as she cheered, she noticed that the leaders' announcements seemed shorter than usual. Did they just want to get the Gathering over with so they wouldn't have to be out in the cold, or was there another reason?

     Bramblestar took Mistystar's place, yowling, “We come here tonight with two new warriors. Silentstorm and Blazeheart earned their warrior names three nights ago.”

     Silentstorm felt a fierce blaze of pride as cats began cheering her name and her brother's name. The loudest of them all were Darkbreeze, Eeltooth, and Specklefoot, yowling the name of their friend to Silverpelt above. “Silentstorm! Blazeheart! Silentstorm! Blazeheart.” Now, more than ever, she felt like a true warrior.

     Once the cheers died down, Bramblestar stepped back, letting Tigerstar take his place. The whole island seemed to hold their breath as one, waiting for the ShadowClan leader's announcement. Slowly, the tom began, “Many of you may already know that some of my warriors tried to take my Clan from me a few days ago.” The lack of surprised murmurs told Silentstorm that every cat already knew.

     “The cats who were involved in this attack have been exiled for their treachery. I have warriors of ThunderClan and RiverClan to thank for their help in defeating these cats, as well as Darkbreeze of WindClan.”

     Congratulatory mews rose up from the crowd, yowls of triumph. Tigerstar let it continue for a few moments before flicking his tail for silence. Once the mews died down, Tigerstar continued, “After this attack, ShadowClan was in need of more warriors.” Silentstorm was surprised to hear him admit this weakness so easily. He really had changed. “This is why I've accepted new warriors into my Clan. Tonight, ShadowClan welcomes Oddtail, Pepperpelt, Vinescar, Mintleaf, Buffy, and Stoatpaw into ShadowClan. All but Vinescar, who lived as a rogue, were once kittypets.”

     This time, Tigerstar allowed the yowls of outrage and shock to ring out without trying to reign them in. Silentstorm flattened her ears, shocked to hear so many cats object the newcomers.

     “Kittypets?”  
     “So many outsiders have never been accepted at once before.”  
     “ShadowClan is more kittypet than warrior now!”

     Silentstorm heard Specklefoot growl under her breath, “Haven't Firestar and Cloudtail taught these cats anything? Kittypets can be warriors just as easily as any other cat.” Silentstorm nodded, grateful to hear the level-headed response out of the ShadowClan warrior.”

     “Enough!” Tigerstar finally snapped. Reluctantly, the cries died down. “Shrewfoot was right about many things, but her greatest fault was discriminating against cats who weren't pure in Clan blood. This is why we drove her out, and this is why I will not accept this kind of talk about my new warriors. Each of these cats has been accepted as a full warrior of ShadowClan, and I expect them to be treated like any other warrior. They have pledged themselves to the warrior code just like all of you have.” As the grumbling began to die down, he continued, “We also have a new warrior, and two new apprentices this moon. Marshcloud earned her warrior name, and Graypaw and Nightpaw are now apprentices.

     Cats began to cheer for the cats he'd mentioned, though with less gusto than before. Everyone still seemed shocked at the sheer number of kittypets and rogues Tigerstar had accepted into his Clan.

     Once the cheering stopped, Ashstar called out to the Clans, “This concludes this moon's Gathering.”

     “Didn't that seem a little shorter than usual?” Silentstorm muttered to her friends under her breath. Blazeheart couldn't help but agree. He knew it was cold, but still, the announcements had seemed far shorter than usual.

     Darkbreeze whispered back, “Ashstar probably doesn't want to be away from camp too long.”

     Before Blazeheart could ask what she meant by that, a new voice spoke, from the leader's tree. “Oh, this Gathering has just begun.” Amber eyes gleamed from the branches far above the heads of the leaders. The leaders barely had a chance to react before a black form leaped down from the taller branches, where he had clearly been hiding, down onto the lower branches.

     Out of nowhere, cats sprung from the ferns circling the island, tackling the Clan cats. Blazeheart and the other warriors leaped to their paws in shock. The Clan warriors fought back bravely, but the sheer number of newcomers overwhelmed the Clan cats. Blazeheart was knocked off his paws by a dark brown tabby, and he heard Silentstorm and the other warriors struggling against a she-cat.

     “Enough.”

     At the black tom's command, all of the newcomers froze at once, keeping what warriors they'd captured pinned down. The black tom stood on the branch with Ashstar, flicking his tail calmly as he mewed, “I believe I have your attention now.”

     Blazeheart was already baffled enough by the attack out of nowhere, but nothing could have prepared him for the name that Ashstar gasped as she stared at the black tom. “Breezepelt!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long, I was distracted by drawing all the bios for the characters, then I had a bit of writer's block. Ah well, here it is, the second chapter.
> 
> Mixed Blazeheart and Silentstorm POVs, like I said. I hope it was clear when the POVs switched, and it wasn't too jarring.
> 
> So here's my explanation of all the new ShadowClan cats in the allegiances. Yes, to those wondering, Oddtail is a purebred Manx cat, and Stoatpaw is a purebred Munchkin cat. Buffy is also a purebred Himalayan cat (of the not scrunchy face variety). I think there's some sort of local cat show nearby that makes all these owners with purebred cats live nearby. XD
> 
> Anyway, Breezepelt pops up at the end. We shall see what happens with that.
> 
> Next chapter will be in Blazeheart's POV.


	5. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Breeze speaks to the Clans.

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 3: Waning Moon  
Chapter Three

      _Breezepelt?_ The half-brother of Blazeheart's father, their treacherous WindClan kin who had fought against his own Clanmates in the Dark Battle. Breezepelt, and every other cat who had fought on the side of the Dark Forest, had been driven from the Clans in exile. Blazeheart had known Breezepelt probably still lived, but he'd never imagined in all his moons he and the disgraced Dark Forest traitors would have the nerve to return. Despite himself, he felt curious. The tom was his kin after all. He tried to lift his head to see, only to be growled at by the tabby holding him down.

     Unconsciously, he found himself looking for similarities to himself and Silentstorm in their treacherous kin. Silentstorm shared his black pelt, but was far larger and broader than the skinny WindClan tom. To his surprise, Blazeheart realized he probably looked the most similar to Breezepelt. They both shared a lithe, slight frame, and small, neat face and ears.

     Breezepelt cocked his head, looking almost amused at Ashstar's shocked gasp. "No, not Breezepelt," he mewed, "Not anymore."

     The lithe tom lifted his tail in command. All around the island, his cats began shifting. The dark tabby pinning Blazeheart to the ground released him, stepping back to join his fellow rogues. Blazeheart leaped to his paws, hissing and spitting, but the tabby didn't engage him again. Instead, he joined another group of rogues, all backing into a circle around something Blazeheart couldn't see, facing out to meet anyone who'd date attack them.

     Beside him, he saw Silentstorm and Darkbreeze leap to their paws as their own captors released them, and Eeltooth was facing off with a massive gray she-cat, fangs bared. Blazeheart was surprised to see Darkbreeze's gaze was not on the cats who had captured them, but on Breezepelt. With a jolt, he remembered that Darkbreeze was Breezepelt's daughter. It showed in their builds – Darkbreeze had the same dark pelt as her father, and a similar build, though with larger ears and a slighter frame. She was staring up at Breezepelt with some fierce emotion burning in her eyes, longing, but offset by a deep loathing. He couldn't begin to imagine what she was feeling, meeting her father like this, after all this time.

     Blazeheart's attention was drawn back to their attackers. Four circles were being formed by this massive wave of cats around the clearing. It wasn't until Blazeheart heard a terrified shriek that he understood. "Help me!"

     The tom gasped. "Finchpaw!" He could only just see the tiny golden tom through the wall of rogues, pinned to the ground with two rogues, one of which had his claws pressed to Finchpaw's throat. With a sick jolt in his stomach, Blazeheart realized each circle held an apprentice from each Clan, defended by too many rogues to fight, with one cat ready to slit their throats should any cat move a muscle. He caught the terrified fear-scent of Swanpaw of RiverClan from one circle, and Graypaw of ShadowClan from another, and he thought the last circle had formed around where Tunnelpaw had been standing when his name had been called.

     Cries of shock and outrage rang from the crowd. But the cats seemed to realize that if they attempted to fight, their young cats would be killed. Blazeheart felt a fierce blaze of rage as he glared at the cats encircling Finchpaw. How could any cats be so cruel as to threaten the life of young cats to get their point across?

     Ashstar had been staring at Breezepelt in utter shock, but the moment one of the young of her Clan was threatened, her expression hardened, the gleam in her eyes one of pure fury. "Let them go, Breezepelt," she hissed, pulling back her lips to bare her fangs. The other leaders crouched against their branches, eyes narrowed and gleaming with pure menace.

     Breezepelt met their glares with a cool expression, his pelt smooth and unruffled. "You're not in a position to bargain here," he commented lightly. His gaze flicked over to Tigerstar as he added, "Neither are you, Tigerheart." He almost seemed amused as he purred, "Never thought I'd see you up on this tree. Perhaps sometime I'll have to tell your Clanmates what their precious Tigerstar did under a sky with no stars?"

     Tigerstar bared his fangs, glaring pure hatred at the black tom. "Only if I get to tell your new friends your secrets too," he growled. "Care to introduce us?"

     "Certainly," Breezepelt mewed. "But first, order your warriors to stand down." Cold malice glittered in his eyes as Breezepelt gazed down into the clearing. "Or your apprentices will never live to earn their previous warrior names."

     The leaders hesitated, swapping glances. Tigerstar still seemed determined to set Breezepelt ablaze with the heat of his glare, and Bramblestar's growl was so fierce that Blazeheart could hear it all the way from the ground. But Mistystar seemed to recognize the futility of the situation first. She glanced at the other leaders, reluctantly telling them, “It seems we have no choice. If we don't they'll die.”

     Bramblestar sighed, lowering his head in defeat, and Tigerstar averted his gaze. Ashstar glared at Breezepelt the longest, blue eyes burning with a cold fire, before she finally looked away. “Very well,” she growled. “Speak your piece, Breezepelt.”

     “Thank you,” the tom purred smoothly. He turned back to the crowd below, lifting his chin and speaking clearly, so every cat could hear him. Blazeheart growled at the smug gleam in the tom's amber eyes. “As I began to explain earlier, my name is no longer Breezepelt. I have freed myself from my warrior name, and my last bonds to Clans and the warrior code. I am now simply Breeze. All of my followers have done the same, and cast of their old names.”

      _Old names?_ Did that mean some of Breeze's followers used to be warriors? Blazeheart took a closer look at the cats surrounding Finchpaw. The dark tabby that had pinned him down had the sleek pelt of a RiverClan cat – was he one of the Dark Forest trainees who had been exiled with Breeze? The tom met Blazeheart's inquisitive gaze, curling his lip and giving a cold glare in response.

     Breeze flicked his tail, clearly some kind of command. A cat walked out of the throng of cats, padding into plain view. Blazeheart froze, and beside him, Eeltooth and Darkbreeze stiffened instantly at the sight of her. Silentstorm lifted her muzzle, taking a few tentative sniffs, before instantly dropping into a crouch and pinning her ears back. She didn't need to see the gray pelt and black paws of the she-cat to recognize their enemy.

     Tigerstar stiffened, staring down at the gray she-cat with amazement. “Shrewfoot!” he spat.

     “Not anymore,” Shrewfoot purred, looking up at her former leader with that odd, smug golden stare of hers. “It's Shrew now. Me and my fellow warriors, have decided to follow Breeze. He took us in when _you_ wrongly exiled us, Tigerstar. He taught us that the warrior code is not worth defending.” She lifted her head proudly, declaring, “There is no honor in the life of a warrior, only lies and hypocrisy and dirty blood. Now me and my companions are free of you.”

     “The only hypocrite is you, Shrew,” Silentstorm uttered in a dark growl. She curled her lip, crouching low and bristling as she threatened, “You shouldn't have come back here.”

     Shrew ignored the ThunderClan warrior entirely, rejoining her groupmates as she guarded Graypaw. Breeze watched the cats below with a cold, glittering gaze. “You see, even your loyal Clanmates can be shown the truth.”

     “What truth?” Bramblestar demanded, his claws digging into his branch.

     Breeze didn't answer. Instead, he gave another flick of his tail. Another cat stepped out of the crowd, this time a skinny tortoiseshell tom Blazeheart didn't recognize. The tom stepped lightly out of the throng of cats, leaping up onto a lower branch of the leader's tree. To Blazeheart's surprise, he heard Clan cats hissing and growling at the sight of this tom. Nearby, Toadfoot of ShadowClan spat, “Sol!” Blazeheart blinked in surprise. The strange rogue tom who nearly turned ShadowClan into rogues? But he left the lake moons ago, why was he here with Breeze?

     Sol cleared his throat, glancing up once at Breeze before turning to speak to the crowd. The moment he opened his mouth, Blazeheart was struck by the soothing deepness of his purr, and the intensity of his amber gaze. “Cats of all Clans, you may know my face, and the face of my fellows here today,” Sol began, his expression utterly calm. “I know your reasons for distrusting us. But in truth, you are not the cats who should feel betrayed – indeed, it is the Clans who have betrayed the decency of all good cats.”

     “What in StarClan's name are you yowling about?” Weaselfur growled from the base of the leader's tree with the other deputies.

     “This is your legacy,” Sol explained, a sharp glint in his amber eyes. “You must learn what you have become.” He gave a flick of his tail, explaining clearly, “The Clans declare themselves to be noble, keepers of justice, the moral authorities of the lake. You hold the warrior code as the standard to which every cat should be held, and yet you rarely uphold it, or punish those who break it, unless you see them as lesser than you.” He was gaining momentum now, his tone growing stronger with certainty. Blazeheart could see Breeze's followers growing more agitated, growling and lashing their tails as Sol stirred them up. “When you came here, this was a peaceful land, where rogues could hunt in peace and kittypets could stray into the woods at their leisure, because prey was plentiful enough for every cat.”

     Nearby, Blazeheart heard a WindClan elder mutter, “Peaceful? The few rogues we met when we got here weren't exactly flourishing, not any more than rogues in the forest.”

     “But then the Clans came, and they claimed lands that had been free for any cat to roam for moons beyond count. Rogues and kittypets are chased from borders they didn't agree to without warning. Those who break the warrior are scarcely ever punished. You allow traitors to walk among you.” The tom gazed pointedly down into the crowd. Blazeheart followed his gaze, stiffening as he realized Sol was staring at Leafpool. The former medicine cat was meeting Sol's stare, something sad glinting in her eyes, as if at some memory Sol had sparked.

     Sol's tone sharpened with accusation. “If you don't respect your own laws, why should the rest of us? The outcasts, the rogues, the kittypets.” He tilted his chin, his voice taking on a woeful tone. “I came here many moons ago, a peaceful wanderer who wanted nothing except to brush pelts with other cats. Blackstar of ShadowClan took me in, and we became fast friends.”

     “Yes, and then you manipulated him into turning ShadowClan away from the warrior code,” Duskfur growled from further back in the crowd.

     Sol shook his head, mewing woefully, “All I ever did was talk to him. He was such a lonely tom, so disillusioned with the ways of the Clans, but too afraid to see the truth. As his friendship with me grew, he came to see on his own that the warrior code was no longer worth following.”

     From the base of the tree, Squirrelflight hissed, “You're lying! You twisted his mind so he'd give up the warrior code.” It was Squirrelflight's first Gathering since she'd given birth. Her kits were old enoug now that she felt comfortable leaving them for the night with another queen. Olivenose was there as well, to Blazeheart's surprise, even though she'd only given birth a few nights ago, as was Reedwhisker, sitting next to Weaselfur.

     The tortoiseshell tom gave Squirrelflight a pitying glance. “Tell me, Squirrelflight. Would you call it manipulation if I had convinced a band of rogues to follow the warrior code, rather than convinced Blackstar not to follow it? It's harmless convincing and agreeing when it's in your favor, but vicious manipulation when it's not.” He shook his head, mewing somberly, “Sadly, Blackstar was too afraid to turn away from the warrior code entirely, and he turned away from our friendship, casting me out when I had done nothing wrong. It only showed me more and more that the warrior code is a twisted delusion that has held a thrall over the Clan cats for far too long.”

     Breeze took over, growling, “The warrior code asks us to defend your Clan with your life. And yet, when some young warriors trained with warriors of time past to grow stronger for their Clan, they were outcast in fear.” The speed with which Breeze had picked up Sol's train of thought made Blazeheart realize the toms had rehearsed this. This whole performance had been staged, every moment thought out. “The code demands that a warrior must be loyal to their Clan above all things, yet time after time, warrior after warrior has defied their Clan in favors of warriors from another. Leafpool and Crowfeather were never punished for leaving their Clans behind for each other. Graystripe of ThunderClan was rewarded with the deputyship after betraying his Clan for a RiverClan queen. Time after time, the code has been broken, and yet no traitor has been punished, while loyal cats were outcast, and innocent kittypets and rogues are persecuted.”

     “What's your point, Breeze?” Mistystar snapped.

     The black tom lifted his chin, growling firmly, “My point is this. The warrior code has failed innocent cats, and must face the consequences.” His gaze drifted across the crowd, seeming to lock with every cat's gaze, hard with accusation. “I demand that the Clans disband, permanently.”

     Instantly, his words were met with an uproar from the listening Clan cats. Blazeheart was stiff with shock, and Darkbreeze seemed to be utterly frozen as she watcher her father, but beside him Darkbreeze and Eeltooth were caterwauling and hurling insults at Breeze along with all the other Clan cats. “Who do you think you are?” Eeltooth cried out, crouched low against the earth with his sleek pelt bristling furiously. “We'll never leave our Clans!”

     Bramblestar growled, “The Clans have existed for moons and moons beyond count. A cat such as you will hardly be able to tear us apart, after all we've survived, just by asking.”

     “Try and make us!” Larksong shrieked.

     “I don't believe I'll have to,” Breeze mewed calmly. “But if it comes to that, my cats and I will kill each and every one of you, rather than let the Clans continue on as they have for so long.”

     He gave a short nod, and suddenly, there was a shifting within the four circles of rogues. Cries of pain rang out from four young voices. Blazeheart stiffened, utterly horrified and fearing the worst. He didn't relax until a queen called out, “They're alive!”

     “Of course,” Breeze mewed smoothly. “We do not kill the young without reason. We have merely nicked their ears, as a permanent reminder of what we're capable of. You've seen the size of my forces. Tell me, do you doubt the threat we pose?”

     Blazeheart let his gaze sweep around the clearing, scanning Breeze's followers. The island had never seemed more utterly crowded with cats. There didn't seem room for any cat to breath – pelts brushed against pelts, no room for any cat to stand apart. He had never seen so many cats before, and far over half of them were Breeze's rogues. With a sinking heart, he realized Breeze was right – his rogues were more than a match for the Clans.

     Breeze's expression grew smug as no Clan cat contradicted him. “This is how it will happen,” he said firmly. “The time of the Clans has ended. You must accept it, and separate, or die. Because I am generous, and do not wish for harm to come to your cats, I will give you a moon to evacuate your camps and find new ways to live. Run wild as rogues, or find shelter with twolegs, I don't care. But if any cats remain in the camps of the Clans by the moon's end, you will face death.” His gaze narrowed as he warned, “But I fear that you still don't take us seriously, so we will prove our strength to you. If you have not left your camps by the next half moon, we will leave you a warning.” A chill ran down Blazeheart's spine at the way he hissed the word _warning_. “If you have not left by the half moon after that, another warning, far more punishing in nature. And if you have still not given up your Clan ways by the next full moon, you will _all_ be destroyed.”

     The black tom gazed calmly at the cats below, allowing his words to sink in, before raising a paw in command. Instantly, the rogues drew back from the apprentices. The four young cats scrambled free from the grips of their captors, racing into the embraces of their Clanmates. Before any cat could react, the rogues were fleeing into the ferns, disappearing from view. Breeze and Sol leaped down from the tree, bounding after their group-mates. There were splashes as many cats threw themselves into the lake, growing fainter and fainter as they swam away, until every rogue was gone from the island.

     Blazeheart felt himself slowly start to relax. The threat was gone, for now. He watched as Finchpaw fled into the embrace of Foxleap and Hazeltail, curling against them and trembling horribly as they curled around him, desperately trying to sooth him. The young tom's ear was badly torn and bleeding – Blazeheart felt a blaze of pure fury at the sight.

     There was a brief lull as the young cats reunited with their Clanmates. Then, finally, Ashstar spoke. The four leaders were looking shaken on their branches, but there was a determined glint to the gray she-cat's eyes as she growled, “We can't disband. The Clans will never be defeated by a cat like Breeze.”

     “I agree with you,” Bramblestar rumbled. “But we should be careful about this. Breeze is a serious threat to us all.” His gaze softened as he looked down upon the utterly hysteric Finchpaw. “I say we should just lay low for now and prepare for battle.”

     Mistystar rasped, “Let us return to our Clans now. Breeze and his rogues may still be lingering, and we need to make sure our camps are defended. We can decide what to do from there.”

     Bramblestar dipped his head to her. “Then it is decided. This Gathering has ended.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh, I'm so not happy with this chapter, but whatever, it's done.
> 
> I think this writer's block is medically induced - I've been trying a new medicine for my ADD, the first time I've taken ADD medication since high school, and I remember that last time I took medicine like that I had zero motivation to write. And I think it's messing with my emotions and anxiety as well, I just feel super frustrated with this chapter, more than usual, and I just feel ugh. I really don't think this is the right medicine for me. XD
> 
> Anyway, hopefully I'll find a medicine that works, and hopefully I'll actually feel like writing at some point soon.


	6. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ThunderClan returns to their camp.

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 3: Waning Moon  
Chapter Four

     Blazeheart trudged after his Clanmates, almost lost in a haze as they made their way back towards their camp. His mind was still trying to sort through everything that had happened. Breezepelt was back, and had threatened the distruction of everything Blazeheart held dear unless the Clans ceased to be. It was almost too much to take in.

     “Hey.” Blazeheart was startled from his troubled thoughts by Ambertalon's voice. The tiny gray she-cat was walking beside Blazeheart, amber eyes questioning. She asked, “Are you alright?”

     The tom shook his head, trying to snap out of his haze. “Hmm? I'm fine.” He heistated, then admitted in a low voice, “Just worried. After Shrewfoot was exiled, I thought the forest might finally have a chance at peace, but now, with Breeze...”

     To Blazeheart's surprise, Ambertalon rolled her eyes. “What, that scrawny WindClan menace?” She snorted, looking far from impressed.

     “You don't think he's a threat?” Blazeheart asked, surprised. The entire performance, trapping and wounding their apprentices, and the threat to the very way of Clan life, had Blazeheart utterly shaken. He couldn't understand how his Clanmate was so unmoved.

     Ambertalon shrugged. “If he really thought his cats stood a chance against the Clans, he would have killed us all tonight,” she said. “I say Breeze is all hiss and no bite.”

     Blazeheart flicked his tail uneasily, mewing, “I don't know. I don't think that's why he let us go.” He added darkly, “I think he'd rather see us suffer than dead. If he can prove his power over us by forcing us to give up the code we all live for, and force us to live as rogues as kittypets simply because he told us to, it would give him more satisfaction than simply killing us and proving that the warrior code really is worth dying for. It doesn't mean he isn't sure his followers can't take us out.”

     “I guess,” Ambertalon mewed dismissively. “Even if that's true, we can take him, and those scrawny fools that follow him.” Her amber eyes took on a mischievous glint as she added, “After all, what could any half-fed rogue of his have against an invincible fighter, an all-seeing warrior, and a mind-reading medicine cat? As long as the Clans have the Three, Breeze doesn't stand a chance.”

     The tom still wasn't sure, but it was hard not to have his spirits bolstered by the confident she-cat. The tiny she-cat hardly ever seemed to be afraid of anything. Her confidence and ferocity in the protection of her Clan had always been admirable to the ginger tom.

     He mewed, “If you say so. I just hope it doesn't come to that.” Blazeheart shuddered, remembering the cold gleam in Breezepelt's amber eyes, and the threats he had offered the Clans. “I don't know what he meant by that warning he's going to give us each half-moon, but it didn't sound good. And if we don't leave by the next Gathering...”

     “Leave?” Ambertalon repeated, sounding affronted. “Why in StarClan would we leave? All Breeze has done so far is fluff up his pelt and give a fancy speech.”

     “He's done a bit more than that,” Blazeheart murmured, glancing back over his shoulder. Finchpaw was trudging several fox-lengths behind Blazeheart and Ambertalon, leaning heavily on his father's shoulder. Foxleap was supporting his son's weight, murmuring soothingly to the wildly trembling young tom, rasping his tongue over Finchpaw's heavily-bleeding ear. The golden tabby's amber eyes were glazed over with terror, and he was trembling all over. Finchpaw had always been a somber young cat – Blazeheart didn't have high hopes for how well he'd get over this new trauma. Leafpool hovered nearby, sniffing at the young tom's ear and murmuring something to Foxleap in a low tone.

     Ambertalon's eyes softened as she followed Blazeheart's gaze. “Poor little tom,” she mewed. “He's been through enough already without Breeze's goons nearly killing him.” Her amber gaze hardened. “There's no way we're letting some kit-torturing bully drive us from our home.”

     Blazeheart looked on as the small tom nestle his head closer to his father's shoulder, whimpering in pain. Finchpaw seemed so young, almost kitlike in his pain and fear. At the sight, something in Blazeheart's heart hardened. “You're right,” he growled in a low tone. “Everything in the warrior code tells us to protect those too young or old to defend themselves. If Breeze is cruel enough to put the lives of young cats in deliberate danger, he has no business feeling superior to any Clan cat.” His growl grew in volume as something swelled in his chest, something usually fierce for him. “The warrior code is stronger than him, and we'll prove it, however we have to.”

     Ambertalon watched Blazeheart's sudden tirade with an air of amusement. “Never thought I'd see you rage at something like that,” she mewed, eyes gleaming with laughter. “Isn't that usually my job?”

     The tom shook out his pelt, embarrased by the sudden burst of anger. “Sorry,” he muttered. “I just hate the thought of some traitor thinking he has the right to threaten our young cats, and our way of life.”

     With a _mrowrr_ of laughter, Ambertalon butted her head against Blazeheart's shoulder, purring fondly. “That's what makes you a great warrior,” she purred. “You've always cared so much about every cat.” Blazeheart twitched a little in surprise at the gesture, but soon relaxed, leaning his cheek against her head.

     Ambertalon soon pulled back, her amber eyes lit up with a fierce light. “If those kit-wounding cowards come crawling around our territory, we'll show them what _real_ warriors fight like,” she vowed. “We'll send them running with some real wounds to think about. Especially that traitor Shrew. If I see her ugly muzzle again, I'll mark it up so good that she won't be able to smell for a moon.”

     Her fierce burst of rage was oddly reassuring to Blazeheart. He knew that Ambertalon would fight beside him to the death to defend their Clanmates, and with warriors as strong as her and Silentstorm fighting on ThunderClan's behalf, he knew Breeze would have to step up his game to stand a chance against ThunderClan.

     But the mention of Shrew brought Blazeheart's low again. The tom bared his fangs in a growl, muttering, “I thought we were rid of her. How did Breeze get a hold of her so quickly? It's only been a few days since she's been exiled.”

     “Who cares?” Ambertalon sniffed. “They're both scum, is it really a surprise maggots like that band together? He's probably been keeping an eye on the Clans for traitors to recruit for a few moons now.”

     Blazeheart's eyes narrowed. “I can't believe he's my kin,” the tom muttered. “How could I be kin with a cat who can do something like that?” He'd always been wary of his ties to WindClan, but seeing how utterly cruel his kin had become was a true shock. What did it say about him and Silentstorm?

     Ambertalon scoffed, rolling her eyes. “Yeah, and I'm kin with soft little kittypets who spend their days lying on soft pelts and eating pellets and never having to work to survive,” she scoffed. “That doesn't say anything about me, or Snowfall, and neither does your kinship with Breeze say anything about you. If that was how kinship worked, Bramblestar would've murdered a slew of cats by now, and Snowfall and I would be on some twoleg's lap somewhere. Don't be a mousebrain. You're Blazeheart, not just Breeze's kin. If you start killing cats and trying to dominate whole Clans, blame yourself, not some drops of blood you and some foxheart share.”

     The tom had flinched back, startled by his Clanmate's blunt reply. But oddly, it did make him feel better. She was right. Kin only meant something if they were there for you. It didn't matter that he was related to Breeze. He was a loyal warrior of ThunderClan, and he would always fight to protect them, and the warrior code.

     “Thanks,” he mewed. “You're right, I can't worry about being Breeze's kin. I have to focus on stopping him from hurting my Clan. That's more important than any ties of kinship.”

     “Now you're talking,” Ambertalon mewed in a tone of approval. “There's no time for moping like a crippled badger. Our Clan needs us right now. We have to focus on protecting them.”

     Blazeheart nodded. “You're right. At least we have time to plan how to respond to Breeze's demands.” Ambertalon gave a short nod, padding on beside Blazeheart. They were a little apart from the rest of the patrol, but still close enough to hear the other cats murmuring to each other, probably sharing similar thoughts about what had happened. Blazeheart trudged through the snow, trying to ignore how it clung to his leg and belly fur in cold, icy clumps.

     The ThunderClan cats had finally reached the edges of the moors. The flat, snowy landscape was soon replaced by the familiar snow-draped forests of ThunderClan. Blazeheart felt a fierce wave of relief as he stepped back into familiar territory. Somehow, he felt safer from the threat of Breeze here, as if the traitor and his followers couldn't pass through the trees that had guarded Blazeheart's Clan for seasons, no matter how mousebrained that was.

     Replying to Blazeheart's earlier thought, Ambertalon joked, “I'd reply with my claws in his face, personally. But I wonder if all the leaders will agree.”

     The tom looked at her in surprise. “You think there's a chance the other Clans might actually do what Breeze told them to?”

     “I think Bramblestar would rather have all of ThunderClan go down fighting than force us to give up Clan ways,” Ambertalon replied. “But Mistystar and Ashstar are getting so old. I wonder whether they'd rather spend the rest of their moons in peace as rogues or kittypets, and see their Clanmates survive, even if they're apart. And with all the mouse-brained nonsense Tigerstar's been pulling lately, who knows what he'll do?”

     Blazeheart's tail twitched back and forth uncertainly. He mewed, “I don't know, Mistystar and Ashstar are old, but they were made leaders for a reason. I doubt they'd just turned their backs on the code they swore to protect with all nine of their lives.”

     Ambertalon shrugged. “If you say so. But don't be surprised if there aren't four leaders sitting up on the Great Tree come the next full moon.”

     The two fell into silence as the patrol neared the stone hollow. As they padded on, Blazeheart couldn't shake off what Ambertalon had said. Would the other Clans really consider giving into Breeze's demands and disbanding their Clans? He felt almost desperate at the thought of it. They just _couldn't._ In order for the warrior code to survive, all four Clans needed to stand together to defend it. If even one Clan turned their backs on the code, it was lost. No cat could claim the code was worth dying for if an entire Clan abandoned it to avoid death.

     Bramblestar led his patrol through the thorn barrier, the patrol spilling into camp. The camp was barren of cats, only the snow draping over every surface, turned into a blinding white by the moon's glow. Since Dovewing had accompanied the patrol to the Gathering this moon, she couldn't keep the cats back at camp updated, and it seemed no cat had stayed awake to see what had occurred at the Gathering.

     “Bramblestar.” Squirrelflight circled around from the back of the crowd, her pawsteps muffled by the snow as she came to her mate's side. “Will you call a meeting to tell the Clan what happened?”

     The massive tabby didn't respond for a moment. Finally, he hung his head with a sigh. “What would waking them only to tell them something that won't happen for a moon accomplish?” he asked. “I'll tell them tomorrow. We'll need all our strength for what's coming.” He leaned his chin on his mate's head, murmuring, “Go to our kits, get some rest. There's nothing more we can do tonight.”

     “You too, mousebrain,” Squirrelflight mewed back fondly. “ThunderClan needs their leader ready for what's coming.” She pulled back, giving Bramblestar a swift lick to his cheek. The mates touched noses briefly, then Bramblestar bounded lightly across the camp for his den atop the High Ledge.

     Squirrelflight turned to the rest of the patrol. “Go get some sleep, all of you,” she mewed firmly. “It's still leafbare, we'll need extra hunting patrols, and I'll need all of you awake for them.”

     “Should we wait for Bramblestar's announcement tomorrow to tell anyone what happened?” Molefoot asked.

     The deputy shook her head. “There's no point. Tell your Clanmates what you saw, if you want, but try not to panic anyone, and don't wake anyone to tell them now. Now go.” She flicked her tail, a clear dismissal. “Foxleap, take Finchpaw to the medicine den and wake Jayfeather.”

     As their Clanmates headed off to their dens, and Foxleap and Leafpool led the wounded apprentice toward the medicine cat, Blazeheart and Ambertalon started off for the warrior's den. But before they could take more than a few steps, Squirrelflight blocked their path. “Are the two of you feeling awake right now?” she asked urgently.

     Ambertalon and Blazeheart shared an uncertain gaze. “Sure, we're not dead on our paws or anything,” the tiny gray she-cat mewed. “Why?”

     “Foxleap was supposed to stand guard tonight, but he wants to stay with his son to make sure he's alright,” Squirrelflight explained. “And after everything that happened at the Gathering, I think our Clanmates would feel safer with two warriors standing guard tonight. Would you mind terribly taking the first guard shift for the night?”

     Blazeheart suppressed a shudder at the thought of staying out in the cold for that long. But he knew his duty as a warrior, and he would never ask Foxleap to leave his son's side after what Finchpaw went through. So he dipped his head, mewing a respectful, “Of course, Squirrelflight.”

     “Sure, Squirrelflight.” Ambertalon shook her pelt, joking, “But if my tail freezes off completely, it's on you,”

     The deputy rolled her eyes. “I'm sure you'll look like Berrynose by the morning,” she mewed dryly. “I'll send Mousewhisker and Molefoot to replace you in a while. Good night.” She turned and padded off for the nursery, her bushy tail trailing in the snow behind her.

     When she was gone, Ambertalon sighed, shaking her head. “How'd we get the short end of the stick here? Guarding the camp at night in leafbare. I won't be able to feel my paws for a moon.”

     “Well, look on the bright side,” Blazeheart mewed as they started off for the camp entrance, “At least we don't have to hear Snowfall snoring for a while.”

     “Or get kicked by Silentstorm twitching in her sleep,” Ambertalon added, any annoyance forgotten in her amusement.

     They pushed past the bramble entrance, stepping out into the forest beyond. They sat on opposite sides of the entrance, settling against the snowy undergrowth behind them. Ambertalon gazed out into the forest, commenting, “At least it isn't snowing.” Her whiskers twitched with amusement as she said, “That must've been a rough vigil you and Silentstorm had. I can't imagine sitting all night with snow falling on me all the time.”

     “It wasn't fun,” Blazeheart agreed. “But tonight shouldn't be too bad. And at least the moon's full.” The light of the full moon cast the entire forest into a bright, silver glow. The snow seemed almost blinding as the moon's light bounced off of it, but the snowy surfaces and white lining of every tree and fern still managed to be beautiful. Above the snow-dusted trees, he could see Silverpelt shining clear and bright above, every star crisp and twinkling. It was cold enough for Blazeheart's breath to mist in front of his muzzle, but he couldn't have picked a more beautiful night for guard duty.

     The she-cat beside him was also lit up by the moon's light, her gray pelt almost white, and her amber eyes glowing even as her face was cast in shadow. She sighed, eyes light up with a fierce light as she mewed, “Breeze and his cats better watch out. We'll never let them past us tonight.”

     Blazeheart felt a rush of pride. His warrior blood was surging with a fierce energy, ready to throw himself into battle for his Clan at a moment's notice. For all his worries earlier, now, he didn't feel an ounce of fear. Let Breeze try to break into the camp tonight, if he dared. Blazeheart was ready to send those cowards running with their tails between their legs, and he knew Ambertalon would do the same in a heartbeat. He was more glad than he could ever say to have the fearless she-cat at his side in that moment.

     “We'll never let them tear ThunderClan apart,” he vowed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmm, still not totally happy with this one, but I feel much better about it than last chapter.
> 
> Sorry about the mini freak-out last chapter, ADD medicine tends to make me anxious and emotional, and oddly enough, gives me really bad writer's block. *shrugs* Anyway, I'm starting new medicine on Wednesday, but I'm trying anxiety medicine as well to try and balance it out, so we'll see how that goes.
> 
> I'm also sorry about the long wait for this one. I was dealing with medically-induced writer's block and I was trying to get drawing stuff done. I'll try to get more chapters out faster, but since I'm trying a new ADD medicine, I make no promises.
> 
> Anyway, next chapter will be in Silentstorm's POV.


	7. Chapter Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Silentstorm recalls the events of the Gathering.

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 3: Waning Moon  
Chapter Five

     Silentstorm didn't sleep much that night. Memories of the night's Gathering kept her tossing and turning, the night's events playing in her mind, refusing to leave her alone. She finally managed to fall into a fretful sleep, only to wake early the next morning, groggy from lack of sleep.

     The warrior struggled to her paws, blinking blearily and trying to ignore the weary stiffness of her muscles. All around her, warriors slept on, still completely unaware of what had passed at the Gathering island the previous night. Trying to shake off her grogginess, Silentstorm picked her way out of the den, leaving her Clanmates to their dreams.

     Once outside, Silentstorm was blasted by a burst of freezing leafbare wind. Her pelt felt almost frosted, her legs like ice as she stepped out into the snow. To her surprise, Silentstorm's legs sank deeper into the snow than the previous day. It must have snowed in the night, after the Gathering's end, leaving fresh snow to make hunting harder and walking a chore. The warrior grumbled, shaking snow off her legs and she trudged wearily across the camp to the fresh-kill pile.

     All that was there to greet her were a few ice-crusted voles and a pitiful little mouse. Reluctantly, she dragged one of the voles off the pile, scooping it up and carrying it off towards the side of the beech tree, where she liked to eat.

     Before she could reach the tree, however, a nearby call distracted her. “Silentstorm!” She lifted her head, turning towards Jayfeather's voice. The medicine cat was approaching her, paws moving briskly across the snowy camp. “I need to check on my catmint, and I'd like a warrior's escort,” he mewed gruffly. “Come on.”

     Silentstorm spat out her vole, letting it fall to her paws as she snapped back, “Give a cat a chance to eat, why don't you?”

     The small tom paused, sniffing in the vole's direction. “You sure you want that?” he asked dubiously. “You might want to leave it for Dovewing or Squirrelflight, or one of the elders. There's not going to be enough for everyone today.”

     “I didn't have much yesterday, I'll need something to get me through the day,” Silentstorm explained. “I'll catch more later to make up for it, and if there's not enough on the pile tonight, I'll go without eating then.”

     Jayfeather snorted. “Whatever. I'll see if I can round up another warrior while you do that. Might as well have one set of eyes between the two of us.” He padded off, leaving Silentstorm to retreat to the beech tree to eat.

     It didn't take long to scarf down what little there was of the vole. Silentstorm's belly was still clenched tight with hunger even as she finished the last scraps of it, though the meal had at least lent more energy to the weary she-cat. 

     After the vole was finished, Jayfeather returned, a much larger warrior in tow. Silentstorm's ears perked forward as she recognized the scent of her father. “Ready to go?” Jayfeather asked. “Lionblaze is coming with us.”

     “Ready,” Silentstorm replied. She got to her paws, following Jayfeather and Lionblaze out into the snowy forest.

     As they headed out, it soon became clear that Jayfeather had dragged Lionblaze very reluctantly from his nest for this. The massive tom was trudging along as if barely alive, his jaws almost constantly split in a yawn. Silentstorm purred in amusement at the great warrior's groggy state. "What's the matter, Lionblaze?" she teased her father. "Not a morning cat?" She gave his massive shoulder a heart nudge with her own, shocked for a moment at how her own height and muscle nearly matched his.

     Lionblaze stumbled from the nudge, shaking his head and grumbling, "What in StarClan did you drag us out here for, Jayfeather?"

     Jayfeather padded on briskly, tail whisking back and forth with purpose. He seemed to be the only one who hadn't noticed his brother's weary state. "Leafbare brings greencough," he explained. "I need to be prepared. I have a patch of catmint growing at the abandoned twoleg den, but with all the snow, I'm worried that the frost will kill the stalks. I need to make sure it's covered and protected from the snow." Sometime in his tone darkened as he murmured, "I won't let any cats die this leafbare. Not again."

     Lionblaze stiffened, his pelt bristling. Silentstorm remembered that one of the cats to die last leafbare had been her littermate, Lionblaze'd daughter Lichenkit. Both toms had been devastated by the loss, and still seemed effected whenever they heard the kit's name. Silentstorm sometimes felt bad that she barely remembered her lost sister, and couldn't mourn her as their family had.

      Silentstorm hesitated, ears flicking uncertainly between the two toms, before she changed the subject. "I don't think that greencough is going to be our biggest threat this leafbare," she muttered. "Not with Breeze out there."

     “With _who_ out there?” Lionblaze sounded completely awake now, as if the name had shocked him into life again. Further ahead, Jayfeather stiffened, tail going eerily still. With a start, Silentstorm remembered that her father and Jayfeather hadn't been at the Gathering last night. “Who's Breeze?” Lionblaze asked in a shaky tone. He sounded as if he'd guessed, but didn't want to be right.

     With a sinking heart, Silentstorm realized her father didn't know what his half-brother had done. “It's Breezepelt,” she told him grimly. “He's back.” She recounted last night's events, Breeze's command over the rogue cats, how they'd wounded Finchpaw and the other apprentices, the demand Breeze had made of the Clans to disband.

     Lionblaze listened in utter shock, while Jayfeather growled low under his breath. “Foxleap and Finchpaw told me what happened,” he told them darkly. “Finchpaw said three rogues were holding him down with their claws to his throat. He was completely helpless. I could feel fear coming off him, such horrible terror, even long after the rogues were gone.”

     Silentstorm heard a growl from Lionblaze's direction. “Threatening a apprentice barely out of the nursery just to make a point.” He shook his head, muttering, “I knew our half-brother hated us, but I never thought he'd sink this low. Or that he'd take his grudge against us and turn it into a war against the Clans themselves.”

     Silentstorm tipped her head curiously. “Why does Breeze have a grudge against you? What did you ever do to him?”

     “Nothing,” Jayfeather spat. They were nearing the twoleg den now – the small tom barely seemed to notice the nearing scent of catmint, he was so distracted by his bitterness. “Our only crime was to be his kin, to be born.”

     Silentstorm's brow furrowed. She didn't understand what Jayfeather was trying to say. As the small tom approached the twoleg den, Lionblaze explained to his daughter, “You know that the truth about Crowfeather and Leafpool's kits wasn't revealed for a very long time. I don't think Breeze even knew that Crowfeather had been mates with a cat outside his Clan before the truth came out. When everyone learned who we were the kits of, Breeze was suddenly dragged into a scandal that had ended long before he was born. Like us, he was suddenly being watched with suspicion by his Clanmates for something he couldn't control. And he blamed us. He _hated_ us for being the kits of his father, for being halfClan, for dragging his family's secrets into the open and making them the center of suspicion in their own Clan.”

     “But it wasn't your fault,” Silentstorm argued. “You couldn't help who your parents were, or what lies they told, any more than Breeze could.” She and Lionblaze sat in the snow, waiting as Jayfeather tended to his plants.

     Lionblaze nodded. “I know. But I think it was easier for Breeze to hate us than to admit to himself who he really blamed.”

     “Which was?”

     “His father.” Jayfeather was crouching by the edge of the twoleg den now. Silentstorm could smell the tantalizing scent of catmint from his direction. The medicine cat began scooping snow away from the plant with one paw, explaining, “Crowfeather took Nightcloud as his mate to prove his loyalty to WindClan, but he never loved her. And he never loved Breeze, or at least, I never saw him even pay his son any attention. He practically ignored him. Breeze resented his father for never being there, and for loving Leafpool more than his mother, and loving us more than his true son.”

     Silentstorm listened, puzzled. Everything Darkbreeze had ever told her about Crowfeather didn't match with Jayfeather's description in the least. She knew he was gruff, yes, but Darkbreeze said that Crowfeather had always been there for her and for Nightfern, almost as a father. He could be distant sometimes, but he had always supported the sisters when they needed him, he had played with them as kits, he had helped them through their darkest days, taught them to climb trees, how to catch the fastest hares. How could a cat go from being a father who barely noticed his son to being a doting caregiver to the daughters of his son?

     Jayfeather paused in his digging, ears flicking back towards Silentstorm. In answer to her thoughts, he mewed, "Cats can change. But it's not always enough." Silentstorm refrained from replying. As much as Darkbreeze cared for Crowfeather, she knew Jayfeatger still had reservations about his prickly father. She had no desire to argue with him on the subject.

     Instead, she said, "So Breeze hates you and Lionblaze for something his father did? That's mouse-brained."

     "It never took much for Breeze to hate a cat," Lionblaze mewed. "But he _really_ hated us. He tried to kill me during the Dark Battle." The tom's whiskers twitched as he added, "Having the power of the stars and all, it didn't go very well for him."

     Silentstorm drew in a sharp breath. "He tried to _kill_ you? His own brother?" She'd known Breeze was a traitor, and the Gathering had shown her just how cruel he could be, but to try and kill his own brothers, just because they were kin... It suddenly made her realize the irony of her own close friendship with Darkbreeze.

     "He tried to kill me too." Jayfeather didn't look up as he spoke the dark words. "And Poppyfrost, by the Moonpool. He wanted to kill her and the kits she was expecting at the time to frame me and make me an outcast in my own Clan." He shifted his side awkwardly, as though at a memory. Silentstorm suddenly remembered, as a kit, she had used to run her paws down the scar on Jayfeather's side. She had used to wonder what battle the long, ragged scar could have come from on a medicine cat - now, she thought she had her answer.

     This latest revelation, compiled with everything Silentstorm had learned about the traitorous tom, made her heart harden with hatred. "He's a monster," she hissed. "We can't let him hurt more ThunderClan cats." Privately, she wondered, _How could such a cruel father have two perfectly friendly, loyal daughters?_

     "He'll come after ThunderClan, you can bet that," Lionblaze mewed grimly. "Breeze hates us and Leafpool too much to let our Clan live in safety."

     The massive tom suddenly froze. Silentstorm's ears flicked curiously towards her father. "What is it?" she asked.

     "You said he recruited Shrewfoot," Lionblaze realized aloud. "And she knows about my kits. She'll tell Breeze about you and Blazeheart."

      Silentstorm stiffened as she realized what her father meant. "We're his ThunderClan kin too. We're related to Leafpool too. He'll hate us just as much as he hates you and Jayfeather."

     "And he'll try to kill you, just like he tried to kill us," Jayfeather growled, a sudden, dangerous pitch to his snarl. "He'll come after you."

     Silentstorm snorted, flicking her tail dismissively. "Let him try," she sniffed. "I'll tear that skinny WindClan menace apart from his ears to his tail." She had little doubt she could take on the smaller tom in a one-on-one battle - she only doubted and threat from Breeze would be that simple.

     Jayfeather began snipping the leaves off the catmint, collecting them by his paws. As he worked, he asked, "What kind of force did it look like Breeze had? How many cats?"

      Silentstorm rolled her eyes. "I heard a lot of paws, but it was a little hard to tell, not being able to see them," she mewed dryly. Jayfeather just snorted in reply. With a sigh, she allowed her thoughts to run over the events of last night, recalling the mass of Breeze's cats as clearly as she could. The silence from where Jayfeather stood meant he had paused in pruning his catmint and was perusing her thoughts. She grew grim as she remembered what had happened to Finchpaw. "There were enough of them to bar any warrior from reaching the trapped apprentices safely," she told Jayfeather.

     Jayfeather was silent as he sifted through Silentstorm's thoughts. After a few moments, he murmured. "It looks like Breeze wasn't alone in his exile. I scent Hollowflight and Icewing."

     Silentstorm's ears flicked forward curiously. "Who are they?"

     "Traitors," Lionblaze growled. "They were warriors of RiverClan, but they fought for the Dark Forest in the battle, and they were exiled. They must have banded together with Breeze after their exile."

     Jayfeather sniffed briefly, before adding, "And there's Nightcloud, of course, right next to Breeze." Silentstorm recalled the older she-cat she had scented, sitting close to the base of the Great Tree. She hadn't realized it had been Breeze's mother. Jayfeather listened a moment longer before stiffening, a soft growl emoting from his clenched jaws. "Oh great. Sol."

     Lionblaze tensed. "That old rogue's back again?" he growled.

      Jayfeather nodded. "Yes. And it looks like he's working for Breeze now."

      The massive tom's whiskers twitched in surprise. He admitted, "I never thought I'd see Sol working for any cat. That old weasel always seemed so proud."

     "Hollyleaf did say he seemed like he barely knew how to fight," Jayfeather pointed out. "Maybe he was having trouble feeding himself, and Breeze offered to take him in. I'm guessing Sol's the one recruiting all of Breeze's new followers. That snake always had a talent for talking. He could convince a badger it was a rabbit if he felt like it."

     Jayfeather and Lionblaze fell into talking about old battles and enemies. Silentstorm listened as best as she could, but in truth, her thoughts were wandering. The mention of the Dark Forest led Silentstorm's thoughts down a new path.

     The arrival of Breeze and his rogues had come awfully soon after Silentstorm's dreams had begun taking her to the Dark Forest. Shade had said she was old, more ancient than the Dark Forest and StarClan – so why was she suddenly walking in the dreams of the living? Had something brought her attention back to the world of the living? Silentstorm stiffened as a dark suspicion flitted to her mind; _What if Shade brought the rogues here?_

     Silentstorm couldn't guess what the ancient spirit's reason for doing so would possibly be. But the timing of the rogue's arrival, and Shade's visits to her dreams, couldn't be ignored. She had to at least consider the possibility that the two events were linked. For the first time, she almost wished her dreams would take her to the Dark Forest that night, so she could gain same answers from the strange spirit.

     But for now, she had no wish for Jayfeather to know of her dreams with Shade, so she quickly clouded her thoughts from the medicine cat. But it seemed he wasn't reading her mind at the moment anyway; he was still speaking with Lionblaze. Silentstorm slowly drew herself back into their conversation, listening quietly as they recounted Sol's takeover of ShadowClan. But even as she listened, she made a small promise to herself to return to the Dark Forest as soon as possible, so she could get to the bottom of this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh, I'm so sorry this took so long. I was very distracted by work, by OtaKon (which was really fun), then I was sick...
> 
> But mostly, I was distracted because I was working on something related to this fanfiction. Echoes of the War now has a Wiki: http://warriors-echoes-of-the-war.wikia.com/wiki/Warriors:_Echoes_of_the_War_Wikia
> 
> I've created pages for all of the characters, I've started up projects for characters, books, and character art, I've created pages for all the books... but I'd really love some help in beefing up all these pages with summaries of characters and plots, if anyone's up for helping. I'm modeling my wiki very much after the Warriors Wiki, so if you're confused as to how summaries on pages are meant to look, look on the Warriors Wiki. I'd really love any help anyone would be willing to give, for whatever project, to whatever extent. If you're interested, check out the link and play around with editing stuff.
> 
> With that out of the way, here's the actual chapter. Sorry it took so long to write, but I hope a little family time with Silentstorm and her father and uncle was worth waiting for.
> 
> Next chapter shall be in Blazeheart's POV.


	8. Chapter Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ThunderClan discusses their options.

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 3: Waning Moon  
Chapter Six

     Blazeheart, Ambertalon, and Snowfall were lying beside the fallen birch, swapping small talk over a shared starling. There wasn't enough for the three warriors to have their own meal. Blazeheart tried not to feel too bitter about the fierce hunger that clawed at his belly as Snowfall licked the last of the bird's meat off its feathers. It was only a moon into leafbare, and prey was already so scarce. Blazeheart was scared of just how much worse it would get further into the cold season.

     As the warriors began clearing away the feathers, a call rang out from the High Ledge. “Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the High Ledge for a Clan meeting!” Blazeheart looked up to see Bramblestar standing atop the High Ledge, framed by the soft light of the setting sun. The warrior was chilled by the grave expression his leader wore.

     Snowfall sneezed as feathers brushed against the leather of his nose. He lifted his head, twitching his nose as he stared up at the High Ledge. “What's this about, do you think?” he asked curiously.

     Ambertalon and Blazeheart swapped a glance. They had decided to hold off on telling Snowfall and any of their Clanmates about the events of last night's Gathering. Bramblestar had promised to tell the whole Clan that night anyway, and they hadn't wanted to cause a panic before their leader could explain it himself. “We'll find out soon,” was all Ambertalon said. “Now come on, I want to get a good seat this time. I'm too short to see from the back.”

     The three warriors stood, leaving the birch behind as they made their way towards the High Ledge. A small crowd was already beginning to gather. Many cats were murmuring to each other, clearly confused about the reason for the meeting. But Blazeheart could see the cats who had attended the Gathering sitting in silence, wearing expressions of grim concern. Molefoot and Dovewing shared a worried glance, and Poppyfrost was staring dead ahead, as though determined not to meet the glance of any of her Clanmates. Even Silentstorm, towards the edge of the crowd beside Sparkpaw and Lightpaw, wore a grim, uncertain expression. It seemed word hadn't spread about Breeze yet, beyond the cats who had seen him themselves.

     Bramblestar waited until every cat was present before speaking. “Warriors of ThunderClan, you all know the Gathering was held last night. Your Clanmates may have told you about it, and they may have not. But what took place last night is something you all need to know about.” He paused, before announcing, “Breezepelt has returned to the lake.”

     Shocked mews rippled through the crowd. The older warriors were sharing worried glances, but the younger cats didn't seem to understand the ramifications of the tom's return. Beside Blazeheart, Snowfall muttered, clearly confused, “That WindClan tom who was exiled for fighting with the Dark Forest?”

     “And he's not alone,” Bramblestar called over the confused mewing of his Clanmates. “It seems he has gained a following in his exile.

     Blazeheart could sense his Clanmates growing more uneasy. "What kind of following?" Rosepetal asked from beside Bumblestripe. "How many cats?"

     Squirrelflight pushed her way through the crowd, coming to stand before the base of the High Ledge. Now that her kits were getting older, the deputy was more confident in leaving them longer to attend to her duties. Grimly, she told Rosepetal, "Enough to stand in battle against all four Clans."

     That set off a burst of worried cries. Warriors were sharing fearful glances, eyes flaring with panic. "Will he attack us?" Daisy called out in a trembling mew.

      "Does he want our territory?" Seedlight asked.

     Birchfall guessed, "Revenge, for being exiled?"

     Bramblestar shook his head. "It's more complicated than that," he told his warriors. "Breeze has his followers convinced that the Clans and the warrior code are corrupt, and this way of living must be eradicated. He has demanded that the Clans disband entirely, and reject the warrior code."

     Outraged yowls greeted this news, but Bramblestar didn't wait for them to stop before continuing, "He has given us until next full moon to leave our camps and our Clanmates, but has promised that if we have not left by each half moon until then, he will leave us a warning of some kind." The dark tabby looked down into the crowd, his pitying gaze falling upon Finchpaw. The young tom's ear was swaddled in cobwebs, and his eyes still held a faint trace of the terror that had blazed there the night before. "The rogues proved the seriousness of their intentions by trapping an apprentice from each Clan, and leaving them with a permanent mark on their ear." Finchpaw dipped his head shamefully. Beside him, Foxleap curled his tail comfortingly around his son, and Hazeltail gave him a swift lick between the ears, murmuring something Blazeheart couldn't hear.

     His Clanmates' shock was beginning to die down, replaced by clear anger. After the horrible way his sister had died, ThunderClan tended to be pretty protective of young Finchpaw. Blazeheart could hear warriors all around him growling. But even through their anger, he could smell fear-scent rising steadily from the cats all around him. His Clanmates knew this was a serious threat to all of their lives, and they were very rightfully afraid.

     Over the concerned cries of the gathered cats, Blazeheart heard Mousewhisker call out, "What are we going to do about Breeze's demands?"

      Ambertalon twisted her head around to look at him, gazing at the older warrior as though he'd sprouted horns. "Are you mouse-brained?" she demanded. "Isn't it obvious? We stand and fight. We can't let a gutless bully like Breeze drive us from our home!"

      Blazeheart felt a blaze of fierce loyalty - Ambertalon was right, they had to defend their home. But to his shock, he realized not every cat agreed with the bold young she-cat. Cats were glancing uneasily at each other, murmuring in low tones, full of fear.

      Bramblestar lifted his tail for silence. Amusement flickered in his eyes as he rumbled, "ThunderClan honors your courage, Ambertalon, and your confidence. But the threat Breeze poses to our Clan is very grave. We must discuss this as a Clan." His stretched his chin out, seeking something at the back of the crowd. "What do the elders say?"

      Blazeheart looked over his shoulder. The elders were all grouped together by the back of the crowd. He was startled by the indecision in their eyes. After a few moments of murmuring together, Cloudtail lifted his head. He called out to Bramblestar, "ThunderClan has survived losing one territory, it can survive losing another. The Great Journey taught us that the warrior code can survive anywhere. If we flee, we can preserve our way of life, away from Breeze and his rogues."

      The other elders nodded slowly, clearly in agreement. Only Sorreltail didn't seem to concur. She glared at Cloudtail, calling to Bramblestar, "I remember when BloodClan threatened to steal our home from us. The Clans rose up against them, and we won. We can do it again."

       "At what cost?" Brightheart countered. "We lost many good cats that day. And in the end, we lost our home a few moons later anyway. ThunderClan can survive just as well by the lake as in the old forest, and if we leave the lake and find a new home, we can still survive."

     Lashing her tail, Sorreltail argued "We lost our home to twolegs. No cat can fight twolegs and their monsters. But Breeze and his rogues are just cats. We're warriors - this is what we've been trained for, to defend our Clanmates and our home against the threat of attack. If we let ourselves be driven from our home every time there's even the hint of a threat, how could we ever call ourselves warriors? We'd just be drifters, too spineless to settle anywhere." When the other elders glanced away from her, she snorted, declaring, "Well, I don't care what Breeze and his rogues want. I've already lost one home. I'm not about to lose another."

     Bramblestar dipped his head to her, then glanced out at the rest of his Clan. "Does anyone else agree with Cloudtail?" he asked. "Who thinks we should flee?"

     Many warriors seemed to hesitate, as if unwilling to suggest a cowardly option like that. But finally, Poppyfrost lifted her muzzle, mewing gravely, “I saw the size of Breeze's following last night. We lost many cats in the Dark Battle – the Clans are still weak, and small in numbers. I truly think we don't stand a chance against Breeze. Our best bet is to run, and keep the warrior code alive.”

     “I know Breeze,” Mousewhisker added, a dark gleam in his eyes. “He hates the Clans with a passion. He wouldn't have come back until he was sure he had enough cats to wipe out the Clans entirely. We should run.”

     “But can we really outrun him?” Blazeheart was surprised to hear Daisy's hesitant mew. She gazed out at the crowd, fear flickering in her gaze as she said, “Maybe we should just do what he said.”

     Ambertalon gaped at her. “ _What?_ ” Daisy flinched at her tone, but didn't look away as the tiny warrior hissed, “Are you saying we should kick dirt over the warrior code and become rogues? Or even worse, kittypets?”

     “Where's your Clan loyalty?” Spiderleg spat. “Trust a kittypet to want to leave Clan life behind at the first sign of danger.”

     Daisy's eyes flicked with hurt at the words of her former mate, but her mew grew unusually hard as she hissed, “How dare you accuse me of being disloyal? I've helped raise almost every warrior here. ThunderClan are family to me, as precious to me as my kits.” Her icy blue eyes were solemn as she mewed, “But I _was_ a kittypet, and I know that there are other ways to live than being a warrior, perfectly good ways to live. If Breeze is truly as dangerous as Bramblestar says, he won't stop until every warrior is dead, no matter how far we run. I would rather watch the cats, all these cats I've raised from their first steps to their warrior name, leave the life they've prided themselves on to be rogues and kittypets, before I watch them be destroyed by Breeze.”

     Cats were still murmuring with shock, but Bramblestar watched with calm eyes. “Does any cat agree with Daisy?”

     There was a hesitation. “No,” Mousewhisker finally mewed. “We are a Clan, and we always will be. But I think the best way for the Clan to survive is to leave the lake behind.”

     More warriors were beginning to murmur in agreement. Others, however, were staring at their Clanmates in disbelief. “I can't believe what I'm hearing,” Berrynose hissed. “We're warriors. We're trained to _fight_. And you all want to run?”

     “You older cats always go on and on about the forest,” Seedlight hissed, “But the rest of us were born here. This is our _home_. And we will die defending it, if necessary. That's what you trained us for.”

     Molefoot lifted his head. He had been one of the cats to see Breeze last night, and the sheer number of cats who followed him. But his tone was calm as he rumbled, “Every one of us made the same oath the day we earned our names. We promised to protect and defend our Clan, and our home, even at the cost of our lives. We knew what it meant then, and we still carry it with us now, The life of a warrior will always carry the danger of death. We accept that risk, because we know that the warrior code, and the life it offers our young and old, our sick and wounded, is worth defending to the death. The oath we made calls us to fight no matter what foe we face; we must honor that oath now, and face Breeze, whatever danger he poses.”

     Appreciative murmurs broke out across the camp. Blazeheart heard Sorreltail murmur, “Well said.” The younger cats were all nodding, their gazes growing more determined. Blazeheart felt the same determination in his heart – he was born here, like all the younger warriors. This was his home, and he would defend it to the death. “Molefoot is right,” Blazeheart said, surprised at his own boldness – he rarely spoke at Clan meetings. “We know the risks, and we accept them. We can't let Breeze take our home from us.”

     Bramblestar nodded slowly. Blazeheart could see a glint of pride in his amber eyes at the courage of his warriors. But he kept his tone neutral as he mewed, “I know what my warriors have promised, but I cannot ask more of them than they are willing to give,” he mewed. “We fled the forest when the twolegs destroyed it -sometimes, a warrior's only option is to run.” He gazed down into the crowd, mewing carefully, “Ivypool? You know Breeze best out of all of us. What do you think the best approach is?”

     The utterly grim light in the silver-and-white tabby's eyes chilled Blazeheart to the roots of his pelt. “I've fought against Breeze many nights in the Dark Forest,” Ivypool rasped. “I know how determined he is, how utterly he hates the Clans. Running won't do us any good. If he's sworn to destroy the Clans unless we disband, he will chase us to wherever we flee, and he won't stop until every warrior, kit, and elder is dead. Our only chance is to stand, and fight.”

     As the warriors murmured ominously, Bramblestar glanced towards the edge of the crowd, where a certain small gray tabby sat. “Jayfeather? Has StarClan spoken to you about this?”

     Jayfeather's nose wrinkled as he sniffed, “StarClan has better things to do than decide everything for the clans,” he reminded his leader dryly. At Bramblestar's unamused glare, he amended it to, “I spoke with Yellowfang last night. StarClan knows what happened, but they're divided. All Yellowfang told me was that Breeze would bring darkness to the Clans, and no cat was safe as long as his shadow stretches over the lake.”

     Shocked murmurs broke out. Blazeheart felt a shiver run down to the very tip of his tail. Ever since the Dark Battle, StarClan had seemed like this great, invincible presence, always standing strong behind the Clans, always protecting them. If even they were frightened by the threat Breeze posed, it only showed how truly dangerous he and his cats were. For a moment, his resolve wavered.

     Even through the fearful murmurs of the Clan, Leafpool lifted her muzzle, meowing clearly, “I was the one who was given the sign that the lake was meant to be our home. When we arrived, we were only going to stay the night before moving on. We were lost, scared, utterly deprived of home and pride, and even of StarClan. All we had was each other. But I saw the light of Silverpelt reflected on the lake, and I knew that StarClan watched over us once more. They knew that this was meant to be our home, and they promised to watch over us as long as we were here.” She looked out to the cats around her, her eyes lit up with the certainty of her own words. Blazeheart was almost chilled by the glow of starlight in her eyes. “This is where the Clans belong,” she mewed clearly. “StarClan led us here, and we've made it ours, through the moons. We have defended it before, and we will defend it again.”

     In a low voice, Jayfeather added, “The pawprints of ancient cats have walked here, moon upon moon, long before we came. And now our paws walk here. We once fought with the strength of the stars behind us to defend this land – there is no threat that Breeze can offer that will ever be worse than the Dark Forest. This is a battle we can win.”

     Cats were beginning to calm from Jayfeather's earlier words. Blazeheart could see cats looking at each other, nodding slowly, as if agreeing to an unspoken question. Even the cats who had spoken of leaving were beginning to look ashamed. Bramblestar looked down into the crowd, carefully measuring the gazes of his warriors. “Those in favor of staying, yowl in favor,” he rumbled.

     Yowls began to rise from the crowd. Blazeheart split his jaws open, adding his own voice to the cries of his Clanmates. He was pleased to hear the loud, rumbling cacophony of voices that were yowling in support.

     Once their voices fell silent, Bramblestar mewed, “All in favor of fleeing, yowl in support.”

     Blazeheart felt a rush of relief at the lackluster response. Many of the cats who had spoken in favor of fleeing before were staying silent, ears and tails flicking uncomfortably. His hopes rose as he realized far, far fewer cats were yowling in support of fleeing than of staying.

     Finally, Bramblestar asked, “All in favor of disbanding?”

     Utter silence. Daisy looked back and forth between her Clanmates, clearly uncertain, but she didn't dare yowl in the face of so many loyal warriors. After a few moments, she just dipped her head, ears flattening in defeat.

     Bramblestar lifted his head head. “Very well. The Clan has spoken. ThunderClan will remain by the lake, and we will stand against Breeze, whatever he threatens.” He flicked his tail, tone suddenly brisk as he mewed, “We must prepare. Breeze has given us a full moon, but we have two warnings waiting for us for the half moons. We can't let them catch us unprepared. Squirrelflight, organize patrols to reinforce the dens and the entrance, and double the hunting and border patrols. We need our warriors well-fed if we have any hope of meeting any attacks. In the coming days, we will make this camp as protected and prepared as possible.”

     Blazeheart felt a thrill run through his pelt. ThunderClan would fight, together, as it was meant to be. As scared as he was, he almost felt oddly calm. Nothing could touch ThunderClan, not now that they stood together.

     Even as the Clan meeting began to break up, Lilyfrost called out, “What about the other Clans? Will we fight with them?”

     Bramblestar hesitated. “Normally, I would say yes. But right now, things have been tense since the flood, and the battle with Shrew and her cats. Our primary concern has to be ThunderClan – if we find we truly need their help, I will send messengers to their camps, but for now, ThunderClan stands alone.” He lifted his head, his amber eyes gleaming. “Now, let's get prepared.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh, I stayed up way too late to finish this, but whatever. At least it's finally finished.
> 
> Here we get to see more of ThunderClan's thoughts on Breeze and his followers. I probably had more I wanted to say here, but whatever.
> 
> Next chapter will be in Blazeheart's POV again.
> 
> Still looking for help with the Echoes of the War Wiki. If you want to help add summaries to character/book articles, or help with character art, go ahead and join! If not, I'm just grateful to have readers. :D Here's the link again, for anyone who needs it: http://warriors-echoes-of-the-war.wikia.com/wiki/Warriors:_Echoes_of_the_War_Wikia


	9. Chapter Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ThunderClan prepares for an attack.

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 3: Waning Moon  
Chapter Seven

     The camp was bustling with cats going back and forth, dragging branches to the dens, patrols going out, prey being hauled in. Every cat was doing something productive - even the older kits were helping weave twigs into the walls of the nursery.

      A day had passed since the Clan meeting. Ever since Bramblestar had given the order to prepare the camp, every cat had been kept busy. Blazeheart felt like he'd hardly had a moment to rest, between working on the dens, patrolling the borders, and stocking up the fresh-kill pile. It had been well past moonhigh when he'd finally crawled into his nest last night, and well before dawn when he was roused again.

     But for now, he had been left to his own devices, given a brief break from all the work. He sat by the fallen birch, stretched out gratefully as he watched his Clanmates bustling to and fro. A half-frozen shrew laid between his paws - the frost-hardened meat felt stringy and tasteless on his tongue, but he supposed he should count himself lucky to get that much to eat. Even with double the hunting patrols, the fresh-kill pile was looking unimpressive at best.

      As he stretched out his limbs, laying his head over his paws, three familiar faces poked their head from the nursery walls. Shadowkit, Sunnykit, and Redkit bounded across the snowy camp, coming up to the young ginger warrior. "Blazeheart, what's going on?" Sunnykit squeaked. "Why is the nursery being changed? And what are all these warriors doing?"

     Blazeheart purred in amusement, but before he could answer, Daisy bustled after the kits. "Don't disturb Blazeheart," she scolded, sweeping the kits away with her big, plummy tail. "Blazeheart has been working himself off his paws, and he's trying to rest."

      "No, it's fine," Blazeheart assured her, whiskers twitching with amusement.

     Daisy sighed as the kits bounded away, already lost in some new game. "They're so bored, being holed up in the nursery while their mothers are busy," she told Blazeheart. “Everyone's busy doing something, and they don't have anyone else to play with.”

     Blazeheart nodded in understanding. “It's hard, not being involved,” he mewed sympathetically. His ears perked forward as an idea came to him. “Tell you what,” he mewed, rising stiffly to his paws. “If you go ask your mother really nicely, see if they'll let you go outside the camp with me?”

     The kits stared up at him with eyes wide with shock and joy, but Daisy was glancing at him nervously. “Outside the camp?” she mewed fearfully. “After everything that happened at the Gathering?”

     “We won't go far,” Blazeheart promised. “Just beyond the bramble entrance, maybe a little farther. But it'll give the kits something to do, and it'll keep them out from under everyone's paws. Tell Squirrelflight she can send someone with me if they like. But I promise I'll take good care of them.” He looked down at the kits, tail flicking in a friendly manner. “You kits want to go outside the camp?” he asked.

     “Yes!” they all squeaked at once, crying over top of themselves. “Yes, yes!”

     “We'll go ask Squirrelflight!” Redkit cried. “We'll be right back!” Almost scrambling over their own paws, the three kits raced away, sending snow flying as they bolted for the nursery. Blazeheart watched them go, whiskers twitching in amusement.

     Daisy glanced back at Blazeheart once the kits were gone. "You're sure you don't mind?" she mewed. "You've been working nonstop since the meeting."

     "It's fine," Blazeheart replied, easily waving off her concerns. "I can rest a bit while they play, I just have to keep an eye on them and make sure they don't go too far."

     The queen fixed Blazeheart with a stern gaze, her firm tone reminding him of the days when she helped look after him and Silentstorm as kits. "Make sure you get some real rest after that," she insisted. "You've barely had a moment off your paws since the Clan meeting."

     Blazeheart reminded her, "No cat has."

     "They've all had breaks," Daisy argued. "And you're using yours to look after kits. Just promise you'll try to get some rest later."

     The ginger tom sighed, but didn't try to argue further. "I promise," he told her.

      Daisy's expression softened with relief. "Good." She reached out her muzzle, giving a swift lick to his ear. "Just because you're a warrior now doesn't mean you're invincible. Or that you have to carry the weight of your Clan on your shoulders."

     Blazeheart closed his eyes, purring. "I know," he assured the queen. He bumped his muzzle against her cheek in a friendly fashion. As he did, he was surprised to feel how coarse her fur felt, and how boney her frame felt under her thick pelt.

     A closer look at the cream-pelted queen revealed silver hairs dotting her fur. Somehow, it had never occurred to Blazeheart how old Daisy was getting. She was nearly as old as Cloudtail, after all, far older than any of the warriors. Blazeheart wondered whether she would retire, but somehow, he couldn't see her as an elder. She was a queen through and through, constantly dedicated to the nursery and looking after all the Clan's kits. But she might soon become too old to keep up with the Clan's youngest members.

     Shaking off his thoughts, Blazeheart mewed, "I'll get some rest, I promise."

     "Alright. I need to go back and help with preparations," Daisy mewed. "Thanks again for looking after the kits." Blazeheart dipped his head respectfully in reply. Daisy returned the nod, then turned and padded off, heading for the elder's den.

     A few moments later, three familiar tiny forms came bounding towards him through the snow. To Blazeheart's surprise, they were joined by Ripplekit and Skykit, with their mother Dovewing trailing behind them. As Squirrelflight's kits neared, Shadowkit mewed, “Squirrelflight said we could go, as long as Dovewing came with us.”

     Blazeheart lowered his head respectfully to the queen, mewing, “That's fine by me.”

      "Then let's get going," Dovewing mewed. With a nod of assent, Blazeheart followed her and the kits as they headed for the camp's entrance.

     The kits were practically bouncing with excitement as they were led out of camp. Blazeheart and Dovewing took them just beyond the bramble entrance, into the ferny clumps that encircles the stone walls of the camp. Blazeheart could see the kits' eyes grow wide with wonder. The area just beyond the camp was a small clearing, encircled by ferns and bushes, with the tree line beginning a few fox-lengths away. A perfect place for the kits to play.

     "Wow!" The kits scrambled out into the snow, staring at the unfamiliar forest with wide eyes. After living so long in the secluded stone hollow, Blazeheart could only imagine how huge and looming the trees seemed, and how daunting the wild undergrowth.

     "Look at that tree!" Sunnykit squeaked, her stubby tail flicking towards a nearby redwood. "I bet I could climb it faster than you, Ripplekit."

     The gray tabby's eyes lit up with excitement. "You're on!" he told Sunnykit, tail lashing.

      As the kits scrambled off towards the tree, Dovewing took a step after them. She called out firmly, "Don't climb too high! Up to that first knob only."

      Both kits deflated, chorusing a disappointed, "Awwww."

      Blazeheart stifled an amused purr at their expense. "Don't worry," he told them. "Cinderheart didn't even let Silentstorm and I out of camp until Bramblestar made us apprentices." He glanced at Dovewing, adding to Ripplekit and Skykit, "Your mother used to tell us what was going on in the forest to keep us entertained. She'd tell us where the warriors were hunting, how the birds would fly high overhead, how the squirrels chased each other for their acorns. It almost made up for not being able to see the forest for ourselves until we were six moons old."

      That seemed to brighten the kits' spirits. Skykit lifted his head high, boasting, "We weren't even _born_ in the camp! We were in the forest before we ever saw the camp. We saw more of the forest than any other warrior did at our age."

     Ripplekit nodded in agreement, but Squirrelflight's kits looked less impressed. "That doesn't count," Shadowkit said. "It's not like any of us remember that."

      Skykit flattened his ears, growling, "I do too remember! I remember the stinky twoleg nest, with wood and stone all around us, and I remember being carried through the forest by Snowfall on our way back to the hollow."

      "You can't really remember all of that," Redkit accused, wrinkling her nose. "You were too little."

     Skykit glared at the red-brown kit, annoyance flashing in his golden eyes. "Maybe _you_ were," he sneered at Redkit, "but I remember it just fine."

      Redkit's green eyes lit up with an indignant light. The birth kit of Squirrelflight and Bramblestar was only a quarter of a moon younger than Sunnykit and Shadowkit, who in turn were half a moon younger than Dovewing's kits. Redkit seemed to be growing into a fair-sized cat, but the small difference in age with her denmates made her the smallest by just a hair.

      Before Redkit could retort, Sunnykit stepped in front of her adopted sister, hissing, "You're such a show-off, Skykit." She flicked her tail to her littermates, mewing, "Come on, let's beat this fluff-brain and Ripplekit at climbing that tree."

      Blazeheart watched as Sunnykit led her denmates towards the redwood, their brief tiff forgotten in the excitement of being in the forest. He settled in the snow beside Dovewing, tucking his paws under him and curving his spine to try and curl himself into the warmest ball he could. "They're growing fast," he observed.

      Dovewing was lying in a similar position, her almost kitten-soft fur bristled out against the cold as she lay in the snow. "More and more every day," she agreed, a sad tinge to her tone. "It won't be long until they're apprentices now."

     She was right, Blazeheart mused. Her sons were four moons old, and Squirrelflight's litter weren't far behind. It would only be two moons or so before they began their warrior training.

      The kits had definitely grown since the trek back to camp from the twoleg nest. Skykit and Ripplekit had lost the kitten softness to their pelts, and were starting to grow leaner and harder in muscle. They were nearly double the size they had been when they'd been carried from the twoleg nest, but still not large enough to be mistaken for apprentices. Blazeheart could see more of his old mentor's strong build and thick pelt in Ripplekit every day, and Skykit was growing more of Dovewing's slight frame and neatly-shaped head.

      Squirrelflight's kits were a bit smaller, but they were certainly not the tiny things that had been carried through the woods three moons ago. Sunnykit grew leaner and sleeker every day, while her brother had doubled in size and muscle. The way his strong frame showed under his dark tabby pelt reminded Blazeheart eerily of Bramblestar. The young tom looked more and more like his adopted father every day. Sunnykit looked a great deal like her birth mother, but if Blazeheart hadn't already known that Bramblestar wasn't Shadowkit'd birth father, he wouldn't have believed it.

      Dovewing's sigh brought Blazeheart out of his thoughts. "Breeze coming back just reminds me even more how dangerous the life of a warrior is," she admitted, gazing anxiously after her kits. "Out here, a cats life is so fragile. I have the power of the stars in my paws, but I won't be able to protect my sons forever. They'll be apprentices soon, and then warriors, expected to lay down their lives for their Clan. I could lose them, far too easily."

      Blazeheart felt a rush of sympathy for the young queen. Breeze's return had brought a shadow over the lake, threatening the lives of every cat around the lake, even those the Clan would fight the hardest to protect. Even the walls of the nursery didn't seem enough to keep out the air of fear the Clan was suffering from.

     "That's how Clan life works," he reminded Dovewing gently. "But the honor a warrior's life brings, and the protection and friendship a warrior earns from their Clanmates, is worth dying for. That's why the Clans have survived."

     Dovewing nodded slowly. "I'll always worry for them," she mewed. "But I want a warrior's life for them. They deserve a Clan to love them and fight beside them." Affection glowed in her golden eyes as she gazed at her sons. They had finished climbing the tree, Redkit reaching the top far before any of the others. They had abandoned the tree and were scuffling in the snow, wrapped in some game of made-up battles. "I'll always be there for them, and I'm already so proud of them." Fierce pride blazed in her eyes as she said, "Giving them the chance to live as warriors, in this forest we've made our home, makes it worth facing any danger Breeze throws at us."

     Blazeheart dipped his head, giving a small noise of agreement. He knew that if it came to battle with Breeze, that _this_ would be what he would fight for. ThunderClan had made the lake their home, and their young deserved the chance to grow to be warriors there.

      The kits are still wrestling and tumbling, but Ripplekit had broken away from the others, padding over to his mother. With wide, joyful blue eyes, he told Dovewing, "I beat the ShadowClan warriors, Dovewing!" Blazeheart suppressed an amused purr - the kit's tabby pelt was completely caked in snow and ice from all his tumbling around. “I defeated the great Shadowstar in battle!”

     Blazeheart glanced over at Shadowkit. The young tabby was facing the other kits, growling and stomping his paws in an appropriate display of an enemy ShadowClan leader, but there was a touch of uncertainty in his amber eyes. Blazeheart felt a brush of unease at the sight. He remembered how shaken Shadowkit had been after learning the leader of ShadowClan was his brother, and that he had tried to steal him because he thought the kits belonged in ShadowClan. Did Shadowkit still hold doubts about whether he belonged in ThunderClan?

     Dovewing's voice shook Blazeheart from his worries. "Good job," the gray queen purred to her snow-crusted son. She stretched out her muzzle, allowing Ripplekit to rub against her neck and muzzle. "I'm so proud of you, my little warrior," she murmured, warmth glittering in her golden eyes.

     Blazeheart was distracted by a nearby rustling. He stiffened, only to relax as he realized it was coming from the camp's entrance. Squirrelflight stepped out from the bramble entrance, her plummy tail held high. The deputy's eyes glowed with affection as her gaze fell on her kits. “Hello little ones,” she called out.

     “Squirrelflight!” The deputy's kits immediately abandoned their game to bound over to their mother. Shadowkit and Sunnykit rubbed against Squirrelflight's legs, while Redkit stared up at her mother with shining eyes. She boasted, “I won the climbing game!”

     The ginger queen lowered her muzzle to touch noses with her kit, purring, “Good job.” She glanced back towards the camp, telling her kit in a playful tone, “Sometime, you should ask Lionblaze how his first attempt at climbing a tree went. Maybe you can get Jayfeather to tell you if you bring him a juicy squirrel from the fresh-kill pile.” Blazeheart held back a _mrowrr_ of laughter. Knowing his father and his loathing of climbing, he was sure it was an interesting tale.

     Redkit, Shadowkit, and Sunnykit swapped mischievous glances. “We'll ask Jayfeather later,” Redkit decided.

     As the kits hurried back to their game, Squirrelflight turned back to Blazeheart and Dovewing. She told the gray queen, “I'll stay out with Blazeheart and the kits. Bumblestripe wanted your help with the apprentice's den. He says it keeps collapsing whenever he tries to weave stronger branches in.”

     Dovewing rose to her paws, shaking her head with exasperation. “I told him to use branches to prop it up.” She headed back into the camp, the brambles rustling as she pushed her way through. The warriors had reinforced the entrance so much that a full-grown cat had to use a decent amount of force to push through. The Clan was taking every possible precaution against invaders – Blazeheart had never seen the camp so battle-ready. It was both comforting and unsettling, as though rogues might strike at any moment.

     After Dovewing left, Squirrelflight padded over, sitting beside Blazeheart in the snow. “Thanks for offering to look after the kits,” she mewed. “They've been so bored all day, with all of the queens working, and the rest of the Clan too busy to keep them entertained.”

     “It's no trouble,” Blazeheart answered honestly. “They're good kits, they'll all make fine warriors one day.”

     Squirrelflight flicked her ear in acknowledgment, her expression and tone oddly grim as she replied, “If there's even a Clan anymore when the time comes.” At Blazeheart's surprised expression, she gave a small shake of her head. “Sorry,” she mewed, “Don't listen to me, the tension's just getting to me a bit.” A more familiar expression appeared on the deputy's face, a look of hard-set determination. “Our warriors are as trained and determined as ever, and in a few days, our camp will be as ready as we can make it. We can beat this.” Blazeheart was assured by the return of the she-cat's usual confident tone, but deep down, he wondered if she was trying to convince herself of her words as much as him.

     He lifted his head, mewing confidently, “Breeze isn't getting into this camp anytime soon. Our warriors won't let him.”

     The deputy glanced over at him, clearly amused. “I don't usually hear you so vocal about this kind of thing,” she observed. “Next to Silentstorm, you always seem so quiet.”

     Blazeheart ducked his head, almost embarrassed. “I know, it's just, it's not just any battle we're talking about,” he said. “This isn't some little squabble over some stolen mice. Our very way of life hands in the balance. Everything we fight and die for, everything a warrior's life stands for.” He lifted his chin high, feeling an unusual surge of determination as he growled, “And I won't let any kit-hurting savage take that from us.”

     The young tom knew he wasn't mistaking the gleam of pride in Squirrelflight's eyes. “I'm glad ThunderClan has warriors like you,” the deputy rasped, her plummy tail curling around her paws. “My son raised you and Silentstorm well.”

     Blazeheart was surprised to hear Squirrelflight refer to Lionblaze as her son. The truth had been out for seasons now about Lionblaze and Jayfeather's true parentage, and while the old lies had been forgiven, neither Squirrelflight or Leafpool had really claimed to be full mothers to either tom, not after all the lies that had been told. Maybe some things really could change.

     Nearby footfalls alerted the tom. He stood as several cats pushed past the ferns a few fox-lengths away, coming into view. Bramblestar headed the patrol, a half-frozen chaffinch dangling from his jaws, while Birchfall, Cinderheart, Lightpaw, and Sparkpaw followed with various measly catches of their own.

     Squirrelflight got to her paws, trotting over to her mate and touching noses with him. “How's the hunting today?” she asked with a purr. Sunnykit, Redkit, and Shadowkit left their game behind, scrambling over to their father and bouncing around his paws.

     Bramblestar spat out his chaffinch, letting it fall to his paws. “Not great,” he admitted in a low tone, so the kits wouldn't hear. “I don't know whether we'll have enough for every cat tonight.” The rest of the patrol left their leader behind, pushing their way into camp.

     “That's alright, I'll ask if some of the older warriors can share,” Squirrelflight said. She glanced back at her kits, telling her mate, “Our kits went outside of camp for the first time today.”

     The dark tabby's eyes lit up with amusement. “I can see that.” Bramblestar crouched, touching noses with his kits as they scurried around him. “Did you have an adventure today?” he asked in a purr.

     “We climbed the Great Redwood to the very top, and we drove the ShadowClan invaders out of camp!” Redkit informed her father. Shadowkit's eyes flickered with something like unease, and Blazeheart once again had to wonder about his feelings about his ShadowClan heritage.

     “Did you?” Bramblestar asked with a purr. “That sounds like a busy day.” He drew Sunnykit closer with one paw, while Redkit and Shadowkit pressed against him and purred. “Glad to hear you had fun today. I promise, I'll give you a badger ride tomorrow. Your mother and I just had a lot to do today.”

     Sunnykit wriggled free of her father's paw, telling him, “We know, Bramblestar. You have to keep the Clan safe. We'll be fine, Cloudtail promised to tell us a story tomorrow night, and we can play with Ripplekit and Skykit tonight.”

     Bramblestar's amber eyes blazed with pride. “I'm glad to hear it,” he purred. Squirrelflight approached her mate and kits, plummy tail held high with in joy.

     Blazeheart watched the leader and deputy interact with their kits with warmth. Despite Breeze's threats, Clan life moved forward like always. ThunderClan would prevail; he would make sure of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh, sorry for the wait again. I was on vacation, plus I got obsessed with this game, HTTYD: School of Dragons. So yeah. Sorry about that. At least I don't have writer's block anymore, it's just me getting distracted that's keeping me from writing, not mounds of frustration and anxiety.
> 
> I'm fairly happy with this chapter, though it got a bit wonky at the end. Ah well.
> 
> I forget what else I was going to say here.
> 
> Next chapter will be in Silentstorm's POV.


	10. Chapter Eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Silentstorm finally gets her feast

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 3: Waning Moon  
Chapter Eight

     The wind was blowing hard that day, rushing through the trees and blasting Silentstorm's pelt with air as cold as ice. She ducked her head, trying to shield herself from the freezing wind, but even turned away, her thin pelt offered little protection against the cold. A scraggly sparrow hung from her jaws

      "Cold?" Ivypool asked in an amused purr. Her former mentor was a few paces ahead of her, Birchfall and Lightpaw trailing behind. Earlier that day, they had all been sent out on a border patrol. They had done a sweep of all the borders, and now, they were heading back to camp.

     Silentstorm fluffed out her pelt as best she could against the blasitng wind. “Just a bit,” she grumbled around her sparrow. Ahead of her, she heard Ivypool huff in amusement. For a moment, she was jealous of her former mentor's thicker pelt. She shook her head, sighing around the prey in her jaws. Since she'd caught it on a border patrol rather than a hunting patrol, Silentstorm was permitted to eat the bird herself rather than taking it back to the Clan. But not yet. She was saving this meal for later.

     As they neared the camp, Silentstorm paused, dropping her sparrow at her paws. She called to the rest of the patrol, “I'll catch up, I can make my own way back to camp.”

     Her Clanmates halted, turning to face her. “Are you sure?” Birchfall asked, surprise tinging his tone.

     “I'm sure,” Silentstorm assured him. “I want to see if I can catch anything else to bring to camp.”

     There was a brief silence, then Ivypool turned to the two toms. “You two go ahead, I'll be along in a moment.” Silentstorm's ears flicked forward in surprise, but she didn't protest.

     Birchfall hesitated, looking between Silentstorm and Ivypool for a moment, before giving a shrug. “Alright.” He stretched out his muzzle, touching noses with his daughter briefly as he mewed, “See you there.” Ivypool just gave a flick of her ear in acknowledgment, and Birchfall turned and padded off, his apprentice trailing after him.

     Silentstorm waited until the toms were gone before speaking. “I appreciate the company, Ivypool, but I kind of just wanted to hunt alone,” she mewed.

     There was a brief silence; from the way Ivypool was facing her, stock-still, Silentstorm felt like she was being studied. Finally, her old mentor mewed, “You're going to meet that WindClan cat, aren't you?”

     Silentstorm stiffened in shock. Four days had passed since the Gathering; even with the new threat of Breeze and his rogues, she still planned to meet Darkbreeze on the border for the feast they'd discussed.

     She tipped her head, asking innocently, “What WindClan warrior?” It wasn't as though she was ashamed of her best friend being a WindClan warrior. They weren't breaking any part of the warrior code by meeting at the border and hanging out. But she knew her Clanmates, not without reason, had a much more conservative view of friendship across Clan borders. Many of them wouldn't approve of her close friendship with the WindClan warrior. She never outright lied about her meetings with Darkbreeze, but she didn't exactly advertise it either. It was just easier if her Clanmates didn't know and she didn't have to explain herself to them. The only cat who knew was Blazeheart, and while she knew he was wary of her easy friendship with enemy warriors, she also knew he trusted her judgment, and would never tell on her.

     Ivypool, however, wasn't impressed by the she-cat performance. “Don't treat me like a fool, Silentstorm,” she growled in warning. Silentstorm lowered her head, flicking her ears back awkwardly. “I was never so wrapped up in spending time with Toadstep that I didn't notice my apprentice sneaking out of camp.”

     Silentstorm's head flew up indignantly. “I wasn't sneaking!” she protested. “I'm allowed to go hunting by myself if I want.”

     The older warrior pressed on, as though Silentstorm hadn't spoken. “When we were taking Specklefoot and Olivenose to RiverClan, I wondered why Darkbreeze was at the border on her own. She certainly wasn't gathering herbs, or whatever mousedung she told us. It was like she was waiting for some cat. And you said she was your friend.” Silentstorm flinched, internally cursing her earlier hasty attempt to keep Ivypool from attacking Darkbreeze.

     “It took me a while to recognize her.” Ivypool paused, gazing at Silentstorm in serious silence. “She's Breeze's daughter, isn't she?” the warrior prompted. “She's your kin.”

     Silentstorm considered lying, but in the end, she knew Ivypool would never believe it. The young warrior shrugged, admitting, “You're right. Darkbreeze and I meet up sometimes on the border.”

     There was silence from her former mentor. The only thing she said was a clipped, “I see.”

     “We're not breaking the warrior code,” Silentstorm hastened to add. She needed Ivypool to understand. “We never tresspass on the other's territory; we always stay on our own side of the border. And we don't steal prey or share Clan secrets or anything. We just hang out. We just talk.” She tilted her head, telling Ivypool earnestly, “She's my best friend.”

     Ivypool stiffened in surprise. After a moment, she shook her head, sighing, “Your best friend is a WindClan warrior. Silentstorm, sometimes it seems like you _want_ your Clanmates not to trust you.”

     Silentstorm felt a burst of righteous anger. She drew her head up sharply, hissing, “I've given my Clanmates no reason to distrust me. Nothing about my friendship with Darkbreeze breaks the warrior code. And my friends outside the Clan will _never_ stand before my loyalty to ThunderClan. I will always put my Clan first, and I will fight any cat who stands as a danger to my Clanmates. I don't have to justify myself to any cat.” She curled her lip, insisting, “I am a loyal warrior of ThunderClan, and my best friend is a warrior of WindClan. There's no reason those two facts have to be separate.”

     The older warrior was silent for several moments. Then, to Silentstorm's surprise, she just snorted. “You're more stubborn than a badger, you know that?” she mewed in exasperation. Ivypool stretched her muzzle forward, touching it to Silentstorm's ear. “I'm not mousebrained enough to think I can change your mind about this. And I know you well enough to know your loyalty to ThunderClan is beyond question.” She drew back, growing serious again for a moment. “I believe your friendship with this cat isn't a disloyalty to ThunderClan, but your Clanmates may not see it that way.”

     “That's why they don't know about it,” Silentstorm said firmly. “I'm not ashamed of being friends with Darkbreeze. But I've lost their trust enough in the past. I can't do it again.”

     Ivypool assured her, “I know. Don't worry, I won't tell any cat that you're meeting Darkbreeze. I trust your judgment.” She hesitated. “But Silentstorm? Just... be careful. You've fought harder than any cat to be a warrior of ThunderClan. I don't want to see you lose that because of some stupid mistake.”

     Silentstorm relaxed, purring, “I won't. Don't worry about me. I trust Darkbreeze. She would never ask me to choose her over her Clanmates.” Ivypool stiffened just a hair at the mention of Silentstorm's WindClan friend. Silentstorm gauged the older warrior's reaction warily. Did Ivypool trust Darkbreeze less than she let on? Why? _Because of her father,_ a dark voice in Silentstorm's head suggested.

     But her strange reaction only lasted a moment. Ivypool's voice regained its friendliness as she mewed, “I better go. I'll tell the Clan to expect you back later.”

     “Thanks. I'll bring back enough prey to make up for the sparrow,” Silentstorm promised. Ivypool flicked an ear in response, then turned and padded off, her tail sweeping against the snowy ferns behind her. Silentstorm listened as her pawsteps grew fainters, until she was lost to the sounds of the forest.

     Silentstorm waited a moment longer, then scooped her sparrow back up and headed off, jaws closed gently around the feathered creature as she trotted through the woods. If she wanted to feast with Darkbreeze and hunt down enough prey to replace her bird, she'd need to get going

     As the blind warrior headed briskly through the snowy forest, her thoughts began to stray from the cat she was about to meet, back to her father. Only three days were left until the half moon, and the promised first warning from Breeze and his rogues. No cat knew what form this warning would come in, and time was running out.

     Every day, her Clanmates grew more uneasy. Spiderleg snapped at any cat who dared come without a fox-length of him, Bramblestar seemed permenantly stuck in his clench-jawed serious silence, and even her gentle brother had a new bite to his growl whenever the rogues were mentioned. Silentstorm hated the feeling of being helpless to halt whatever came next. At least in battle, she knew she could protect her Clan. But this waiting was torture. It would almost be a relief when the half moon finally did come – at least then she'd know exactly what she was facing.

     Silentstorm pushed past the last of the ferns, coming into the clearing that held the WindClan border. Her nose was full of feather-scent and the stench of sparrow blood, but she still caught the scent of the warrior waiting a few fox-lengths ahead of her, and the scrawny young hare she carried. She purred around the prey in her jaws, trotting over to the border and dropping the sparrow. “Hello, Darkbreeze,” she mewed brightly.

     There was a shuffling sound as the warrior stood, her hare dropping at her paws. “Hi, Silentstorm,” Darkbreeze said.

     Darkbreeze reached her muzzle out to touch noses with Silentstorm, but even as she greeted her best friend, there was a definite somber damper to usually cheerful she-cat's tone. Silentstorm's ears flew forward, instantly concerned. “Are you alright?” she asked as she settled onto her mossy patch.

     “Fine,” the WindClan warrior replied wearily. Silentstorm just waited. In the ThunderClan cat's silence, Darkbreeze seemed to realize her friend didn't buy her reponse. She sighed, stretching out on the grassy patch on her side of the border. “I promise, I'm fine. I'm just worried. Things have been crazy since the Gathering.” Even as she tried to reassure her friend, there was a dull weariness to her tone that had Silentstorm utterly concerned. She had never heard her cheerful, bright, happy friend so down before.

     Silentstorm nodded. “I know what you mean,” she said sadly. “It's like a storm that keeps building and building, but just won't break. Who knows what Breeze will do to warn the Clans?”

     “It's not just that,” Darkbreeze admitted. “The threat of battle is bad enough. But Breeze used to be one of us.” _And he was my father_ went unspoken, but both she-cats felt the unspoken truth, crackling with an electric tension between them. “WindClan tried to move past the cats we exiled after the Dark Forest, but now he's back, as a threat to everything the Clans stand for.”

     The ThunderClan warrior felt a fierce rush of sympathy for her friend. “How are your Clanmates taking it?” she asked.

     Darkbreeze shrugged miserably. “Crowfeather shreds the ears of any cat who so much as hints that Breeze is his son,” she admitted. “He barely talks to any cat anymore. Heathertail refuses to talk about him, and Nightfern's been pretty quiet the last few days.”

     Concern flickered in Silentstorm's chest. “Have they been treating you any differently?” Darkbreeze looked up sharply, the faintest hint of a growl in her throat. Silentstorm, but it had to be said. “Because, you know, because he's your father.”

     At first, Silentstorm wasn't sure whether Darkbreeze was even going to answer. She feared she had pushed her friend to anger. But Darkbreeze only remained stiff and growling for a moment. Then, the anger seemed to deflate from her. “Not really, thank StarClan,” she murmured. “I think I have your leader for that. It helps when two Clans have descendants of Tigerstar as respected leaders. But it doesn't make it any easier, knowing who my father is.”

     Silentstorm asked curiously, “Do you remember him at all? From before he was exiled?” She hated to push her friend on a subject that clearly made her uncomfortable. But she couldn't imagine what it was like to have such an evil tom for a father. Her own father was such a loving, supportive tom, and Jayfeather was like a second father to her. What was it like, knowing your father was a traitor to everything the Clan stood for, and was responsible for the deaths of some of his own Clanmates?

     Darkbreeze grew still. “Barely,” she mewed stiffly. Her tone warned Silentstorm not to push the subject any further. She could sense there were memories there, some remembrance of a father moons ago, but whatever they were, Darkbreeze had no intention of sharing them. Silentstorm dipped her head in acceptance, ashamed of having brought it up in the first place.

     After a few moments of awkward silence, Silentstorm ventured, “How is Ashstar taking it?”

     The young warrior started, as though surprised out of her dark thoughts. “Oh, she's on the warpath,” she told Silentstorm grimly. “I've never seen her so enraged. She's sworn that WindClan won't be driven from its home by a traitor and his buzzard-hearted rouges. WindClan is preparing for war.”

     “War?” Silentstorm's heart chilled at the thought. She knew as well as any cat that the life of a warrior was one of fighting. The tension with ShadowClan had almost been the norm of how the Clans interacted. Clans fought and bickered and spilled blood over prey, that was the way of it. But this felt completely different. Battles between Clans followed a code of honor – if your enemy tries to flee, release her, do not kill unless it is absolutely necessary, do not harm kits or the helpless. With these vicious rogues, every one of those rules was out of play. Any fight with them would be a desperate, vicious, bloody scrabble to the very death. And with the sheer number of enemies the Clans faced, Silentstorm wasn't so sure this was a war they could survive.

     Silentstorm turned her head away, wondering in a dark tone, “And how many cats will be lost in that war?”

     Darkbreeze stared at her friend, clearly surprised. “As many as it takes to defend our home,” she said, as though it were obvious.

     “But what's more important?” Silentstorm argued. “Defending a home, or defending a Clan?” Darkbreeze stiffened, her pelt fluffing up at her friend's words. “In the end, what are we dying for? Trees and stones and grass. Is that worth more than protecting the cats that Breeze will happily slaughter if we try to stand against him?”

     The WindClan warrior was gazing at her friend, her bristled pelt conveying clear shock. “What are you suggesting, Silentstorm?” she asked in a hushed tone.

     Silentstorm flattened her ears uncomfortably. She hadn't dared to speak out at the last Clan meeting. After only just regaining the trust of her Clanmates, she hadn't had the heart to challenge their trust in her again by suggesting they run like cowards. But she knew in her heart that she would much rather lose the lake territories than lose a single one of her Clanmates. Aloud, she admitted, “I wonder if it wouldn't be better if the Clans left Breeze and his grudges behind for a new home.”

     For several moments, Darkbreeze said nothing, only blinking at her friend. “Is this what Bramblestar has decided?” she finally asked in a shaky tone.

     Silentstorm brought her head up sharply. “No. ThunderClan has decided to stand and fight,” she told her friend. “But I don't know. The Clans haven't faced a threat like this since the Dark Battle. We're still recovering from it, none of the Clans has the number of warriors it did before the battle, and this time, there won't be any starry warriors to fight beside us. Are you honestly sure the Clans can survive a fight like this a second time?”

     “I don't,” Darkbreeze admitted evenly. “But we have to try.”

     “But why? Wouldn't it be better to leave and fight another day?” Silentstorm argued. “The Clans are no different if they live in a forest, next to a lake, or in the ruins of a twoleg den. If we lose this territory, we can find another. But if we lose a Clanmate, nothing can ever bring them back.”

     Darkbreeze remained silent. Silentstorm lifted her head, desperate to explain herself to her friend. “Darkbreeze, I'm scared. Breeze was willing to scar four apprentices, barely older than kits, just to scare us. These cats don't care about the warrior code. They'll kill our kits, our elders, any cat who gets in their way.” Her voice rose with intensity. “You saw how many cats were following him! I'm terrified for my Clan. I don't want to see them destroyed.”

     There was a sigh from her WindClan friend. To Silentstorm's surprise, Darkbreeze leaned her head across the border to brush her muzzle against Silentstorm's. “I know,” she assued the younger warrior softly. “I'm scared too. But we have to fight. It's what warriors do. If we flee every time a threat rises, cats will always know we can be chased out of wherever we settle. The only way we can ever be respected enough for cats to not try and chase us out is to stand our ground.”

     Silentstorm flicked her ears back uncomfortably. Darkbreeze drew her muzzle back, her tone growing serious. “Silentstorm, I don't remember my father very well. But what I do know is that he is ruthless, dangerous, without mercy, and utterly determined to have his revenge. He won't let us leave the lake still following the warrior code. It won't matter how far we'll go. He'll hunt us down and slaughter us, one by one. Our _only_ chance is to stay and fight.”

     The ThunderClan warrior sighed. “Maybe you're right,” she murmued. She didn't want to fight her friend over this.

     But internally, she wasn't convinced. She had even more reason than her friend to fear the threat of the rogues. If Shade truly was behind Breeze's return, as she feared, no mortal cat had a prayer in defending themselves against attack. She had no idea what Shade even was, or what she could do, but everything she had seen of this creature so far suggested she held power far beyond the reach of any living cat. The only hope she could see for her Clan was to run, run far, and pray that Shade didn't find them.

     What she really needed was some answers. The last few nights, she had gone to sleep with the full intention of waking in the Dark Forest. But try as she might, as hard as she willed herself there, she never even caught the slightest scent of the Place of No Stars. It was utterly infuriating. Shade seemed to be behind every tree when Silentstorm didn't want her there, but the second Silentstorm actually wanted to talk to her, she was nowhere to be found. Silentstorm had no idea what she had to do to reach the Dark Forest, but she was almost starting to consider asking Birchfall or Ivypool or one of the other former trainees for advice.

     The shuffling of Darkbreeze's paws as she settled her paws under her brought Silentstorm from her thoughts. “Come on,” she said in a brighter tone, filled with warmth. “We didn't come here to mope. Let's have a feast and celebrate a stubborn, nosy mousebrain getting her warrior name.” She dragged her hare closer to her with one paw, starting to dig in.

     Silentstorm flicked her tail to one side, her spirits lifting a little. “You know what, you're right,” she mewed. “I don't want to worry over Breeze. This is supposed to be a good day.” She snagged the sparrow a few whisker-lengths away with one claw, yanking it closer with one flick of her paw. The warrior bit into the skinny, feathered body, feeling a rush of energy and confidence at the taste of fresh-caught sparrow.

     But even as she ate, the shadows of her earlier fears flickered at the edge of her thoughts. The half moon drew ever nearer, and soon, Breeze and Shade wouldn't be able to be banished to the back of her thoughts any longer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow. Over a month. I am so, so sorry.
> 
> I've been _insanely_ busy with school, with little motivation to write. I don't know what else to say. I'm going to try and get these out more often, but I can't make any promises. I barely seem to have time to write anymore.


	11. Chapter Nine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two days before the half moon, and ThunderClan is on edge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for gore.

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 3: Waning Moon  
Chapter Nine

     “Watch it!”

     Blazeheart scrambled away, bristling in alarm. “Sorry!” he gasped.

     Lilyfrost's soft blue gaze was unusually icy. She fluffed up her pelt, sweeping the tail Blazeheart had accidentally trod on behind her. The tabby-and-white warrior pinned back her ears, hissing, “Just watch where you're going.” With an irritated spit, she turned and stalked away, joining Seedlight at the edge of the fallen beech. He saw the two littermates exchange words, Lilyfrost's pelt still bristling, while Seedlight's tail lashed once.

     The ginger tom stared after Lilyfrost, trying not to feel too offended. The young she-cat was usually one of the sweetest, most mild-mannered cats in ThunderClan. But he knew well enough why she had reacted the way she had. She wasn't the only cat acting up these days.

     Blazeheart stared uneasily up at the late evening sky, gazing warily at the pale outline of the moon in the darkening sky. It was waning fast, nearly at a neat half-slice. He felt a shudder run through him, not just from the cold.

     Only two days remained until the half moon. As the day of Breeze's first “warning” drew nearer, every cat was on edge, if Lilyfrost's unusual anger was anything to judge by. He'd seen Dovewing snap at Bumblestripe earlier that day, and the elders were even crankier than usual. Under all of their bristling and snapping, ran a dark undercurrent of fear.

     Blazeheart felt the same fear pulsing through his veins, the tempo growing more frantic as the half moon drew nearer. Whatever was going to happen, whatever punishment Breeze had concocted for the Clans, it wouldn't be long now.

     Casting a final, apologetic glance towards Lilyfrost, he scurried away towards the fresh-kill pile. The Clan had been working overtime to stock the pile, but the contents were still meager. He plucked a mouse from the pile, carrying it to the base of the fallen birch. The ginger tom settled against the snowy ground, tucking his paws under him. Snowfall was training with Finchpaw, and Silentstorm was taking a nap after a full day of hunting, so he was left to eat alone.

     As he picked listlessly at his mouse, Blazeheart stared vaguely at the camp's entrance. The brambles had been woven so tightly that a full-grown cat could barely squeeze through. All the dens had been reinforced, the fresh-kill pile and medicine stores stocked, and every warrior was at the ready. ThunderClan was as prepared for battle as they were going to get.

     Now that the preparations were done, there wasn't as much to do. Blazeheart was done with all his patrols for the day, and without anything to do, he was bored out of his head. His pelt was thrumming with anxious energy. He wanted to be out there, doing something, anything other than just sitting around useless in camp waiting for the rogues to show up. But he had finished all of his patrols for the day, and with Breeze's threat hanging over the forest, he didn't think hunting alone as it grew later in the day was the wisest plan.

     The young warrior finished the mouse, which barely sated the hunger gnawing at his belly. With a sigh, he settled onto the snow and laid his head on his paws, tucking his tail closer to him. He watched dully as the breeze played lazily with the bramble tendrils hanging over the apprentice's den. Inside, he saw a flash of cream fur, and the whisking of a tail. Sparkpaw was cleaning out the den, replacing the old moss with new, cleaner moss for the nests. Blazeheart wondered vaguely where he'd managed to find fresh moss in the middle of leafbare.

     “Hey there lazypaws,” a voice mewed behind him. Blazeheart was jerked out of his thoughts, his head lifting from his paws in surprise. Ambertalon stood behind him, tail curled in amusement as she looked over her lethargic denmate.

     Blazeheart's dull mood vanished instantly, a purr of pleasure rising from his throat. “Hi Ambertalon,” he greeted brightly. “I thought you were helping Snowfall train Finchpaw? He said he wanted to teach him how to fight two enemies?”

     She flicked her tail dismissively, saying, “They've moved onto tripping a larger enemy. Finchpaw's really been growing fast this last moon.” Her whiskers twitched in amusement as she added, “He'll be tall and thick-set as a badger in a few moons.” Blazeheart purred good-humoredly. She was right; though his father was small, Finchpaw seemed to have inherited Hazeltail's bulk and height. He would make a powerful fighter one day.

     Her amber eyes gleaming, Ambertalon reached out a snow-white paw, prodding Blazeheart's flank. “What are you, a kittypet?” she teased. “You'll freeze up if you lay around in the snow all day. Come on, let's go hunting.”

     Blazeheart pulled himself up onto his paws, his cold, numb limbs protesting the sudden movement. He meowed, “Thank StarClan. There's been nothing to do since my last patrol.” The ginger tom began stretching out all of his legs, feeling a surge of new energy flow to his limbs. Suddenly surging with energy, he bounded ahead, flicking his tail against Ambertalon's flank. “Come on slowpaws!” he teased. “Hurry up!”

     Ambertalon's lip curled back, a playful growl rumbling from her flashed fangs. “We'll see who the slowpaws is!” The two cats thundered towards the bramble entrance, pushing and scraping past the thorns in the race to be out first. Blazeheart managed to wiggle out of the tangled thorns first, landing straight in a run the second his paws touched down on the snow. Ambertalon was right on his heels. The tiny she-cat hared along easily on the snowy forest floor, her tail waving wildly behind her.

     They raced through the trees, pushing themselves faster and faster. Blazeheart's lithe, skinny frame was built for speed, but Ambertalon was lighter and smaller. She pulled ahead of him, her white muzzle stretching ahead of his own. Blazeheart tried to push himself faster, his jaw clenched with effort, heart pounding with wild joy.

     Without warning, something kicked out against his paws. He was thrown wildly off balance, his paws flailing as he was sent tumbling in the snow, finally landing head-first in a hazel bush.

      _“Mroww-oww-owwrr!”_ Blazeheart blinked, freezing up in shock. The whole of his head was submerged in the hazel bush, while his belly laid cold against the snow, his legs in a hopeless tangle on the snowy floor. He could hear Ambertalon howling with laughter behind him. “That was great! You should've seen your face!” the tiny she-cat screeched.

     His nose and muzzle were lightly stratched by the hazel branches, and his legs were cold and sore from his fall, but he couldn't begrudge Ambertalon her fun. Blazeheart purred, laughter tinging his own tone. “Very funny,” he grumbled good-naturedly. He tried to pull his head free, only to find that the hazel branches had tangled into his fur, closing around his head. “ _Urk._ ” The tom pressed his paws against the bush, trying to work his head free, but in vain. He fell limp, calling behind him, “Er, a little help?”

     The tom could practically hear Ambertalon rolling her eyes. “Hang on.” Pawsteps approached, then sharp teeth dug into his scruff. Without warning, Ambertalon yanked back hard on his scruff, jerking Blazeheart's head against the tangled, thorny branches. He yelped in surprise as thorns dug into his scalp. Ambertalon was pulling with all her might, but the only result was thorns scraping and scratching at Blazeheart's pelt.

     “Stop, stop!” he yelped. Ambertalon paused in her efforts. Blazeheart let out a breath as the tiny claws stopped digging into his pelt. After a moment of recovery, he told Ambertalon dryly, “It's not going to work. Just pull the branches out of the way so I have enough room to pull free.”

     Ambertalon sighed. “You always have to do things the boring way,” she complained. But she complied, settling back on her haunches as she began picking at the hazel bush with her front paws and muzzle.

     “And you always rush in head-first before thinking,” Blazeheart retorted fondly.

     He could feel the she-cat's muzzle tremble from her purr. “You're the one who went head-first into a bush,” she teased.

     Little by little, her claws and teeth were able to untangle the branches from around Blazeheart's head, leaving the pale tabby just enough room to wiggle his head clear of the thorns. He finally pulled his head free, scrambling back from the bush. “Thank StarClan,” he mewed. After shaking his pelt out. he lifted his paw, gave it a swift lick, and began grooming the thorns and bits of branch out of his head and neck fur.

     “Got it!” Ambertalon purred, releasing her hold on the bush. She left the bush behind and padded softly over to Blazeheart. “You really are a lazypaws,” she teased. “You'd rather sit around with your head in a bush all day rather than hunt.”

     Despite his scraped and scratched pelt, Blazeheart's spirits were still high. He gave Ambertalon a mock glare, growling, “You're the one who tripped me into it.” As Ambertalon closed her eyes, a cheerful purr rumbling in her throat, Blazeheart took advantage of her lack of attention. His paw struck out lightning-fast, scooping up a pawful of snow and slinging it towards his denmate.

     The tiny she-cat let out a squeak of surprise as the snow hit her right in the muzzle, exploding into an icy powder all over her face. Blazeheart couldn't hold back a _mrowrr_ of laughter at the she-cat's appearance, with her entire face dusted white with snow.

     After the initial shock faded, Ambertalon's eyes narrowed in a look of pure sadistic glee. “Oh, it's on twiglegs!” she growled, pelt fluffing up as she crouched low. Before Blazeheart had a chance to duck, Ambertalon had flung herself at him, slamming into his shoulders and sending both cats tumbling in the snow. Ambertalon grabbed Blazeheart's head with one paw, shoving it against the snow for a few moments as Blazeheart struggled wildly to free himself. As he finally pulled free, the numb, freezing feeling on his face told him he was as snow-dusted as she had been. Ambertalon let out a sharp laugh at the sight. “See how you like it!” she hissed gleefully.

     Blazeheart whirled on the she-cat, growling as he grasped her scruff between his jaw and yanked them both down into the snow. She fought like a demon to get away, pummeling Blazeheart hard in the belly with her hind paws. The two cats scuffled a while longer, play-fighting like excited kits, before finally breaking away, panting and laughing. Both cats were now entirely caked in snow tail to nose-tip. Blazeheart couldn't contain _mrowrrs_ of laughter at the sight of Ambertalon, like a white puff of cloud with all the snow and ice caked in her pelt. “You'll have to switch names with your brother,” he teased. “You look more like a snowfall than he does right now.”

     Ambertalon's amber eyes were gleaming with a bright, blazing light. She shook out her pelt, sending snow flying everywhere, before beginning to groom the remaining ice from her pelt. “That was a blast,” she purred. “I feel like I haven't gotten to play like that in moons.”

     The ginger tom began cleaning his own pelt. With any other cat, he would feel embarrassed for having acted like a kit barely out of the nursery. But for whatever reason, he had no such qualms with Ambertalon. She had such a blunt personality that he knew if she thought he'd been acting foolishly, she would've let him know by now. Being around a cat who always spoke her mind and never held anything back was anything was somehow very relaxing – he always knew she would never lie to him to make him feel better about himself.

     His spirits were higher than they'd been in moons, but at Ambertalon's comments, he felt them deflate a little. “There hasn't been much time to relax like that in moons,” he recalled grimly. But after a moment, he shook his head. A cloud of fear had hung over the Clan for what felt like moons now. In a few days, they would have Breeze's warning to deal with. But right now, he was out hunting with a good friend, having a nice time, and relaxing for what felt the first time in moons. He wasn't going to let his fears about Breeze and the rogues cloud his thoughts today, not while he had Ambertalon at his side.

     Blazeheart lifted his head, mewing brightly, “Come on. We came out here to hunt, and the Clan needs to eat. Let's get going.” He rose to his paws, Ambertalon following suit, before padding off into the woods.

**SCENEBREAK**

     After a while, Ambertalon was able to track down a scrawny mouse. But after that, they couldn't seem to catch so much as a scent of prey. “This is ridiculous,” Ambertalon growled, kicking at snow with one paw out of frustration. “Don't these things have to be out looking for food like the rest of us? It shouldn't be this hard to find a mouse or a squirrel or _something_.”

     “I think most prey is smart enough to store their food _before_ it all disappears under the snow,” Blazeheart pointed out. He felt the same frustration as Ambertalon, but he knew better than to let it bubble to the surface. The young warrior was in full hunting mode, his mind calm and focused, every muscle tensed and alert. His ears swiveled and flicked around in a constant motion, his green eyes scanning the snowy undergrowth for any signs of life. The only way to catch anything was through focus and through patience.

     That's why he heard the nearby rustling before Ambertalon did. He froze, dropping instantly into a crouch. There was only a split second's warning before there was a burst of feathers and wings flapping from a nearby bush. Without a moment's hesitation, Blazeheart lunged, his claws snagging the bird out of the air and pinning it to the ground. Even as the bird struggled wildly under his paws, Blazeheart held it down, delivering a swift nip to the back of its neck. The second his teeth closed down on its spine, the bird fell limp under his paws, the slapping sound of wings against snow finally falling silent.

     Ambertalon padded over, eyes wide. “Great catch!” she mewed, tone heavy with admiration. Blazeheart released his grip on the bird's neck, pulling back to get a better look at it.

     He recognized it as a pigeon, and a decent-sized one at that, for this late into leafbare. The tom felt a burst of pride. “That should keep the kits fed tonight,” he purred.

     “With a bit leftover,” Ambertalon said brightly. She touched her nose to Blazeheart's ear-tip, mewing, “But then again, you always were the best hunter out of all of us.”

     Blazeheart dipped his head, surprised at the rush of warmth her words gave him. He prided himself on his hunting, and was often praised as one of the most skilled hunters in the Clan. But somehow, hearing it from Ambertalon, whose fearlessness and confident, bluntly honest nature had always made him admire her so much, made his head feel light with joy.

     He replied, “I've always enjoyed hunting. I love the preciseness of it, and knowing that every mouse I catch will go to keeping my Clan alive.” The tom tucked his head, adding, “But I could never fight the way you do. You always seemed so fierce in battle training.”

     “Thanks,” Ambertalon purred, tail curling at the compliment. “No offense or anything, I like hunting well enough, but I never did get into it the way you did. The way I see it, as long as I catch enough to feed my Clan, that's all that matters. But fighting...” Something lit up in her amber eyes, a gleam of deep passion. She glanced at Blazeheart, adding, “Don't get me wrong. I don't want war between the Clans more than any other cat. But fighting is a part of Clan life, and when we do have to fight, everything just feels so clear. I know exactly what I'm doing, I know what I have to do, and I'm really, really good at it.”

     Blazeheart mewed earnestly, “You really are. I still remember the time you beat Snowfall and Dewpaw after two moons of training and gave Dewpaw that nick in his ear.”

     Ambertalon snorted, eyes gleaming with merriment. “Berrynose was so mad. He made me clean the elder's den for three days for unsheathing my claws during a training session.”

     The ginger tom shook his head. “Berrynose always seemed like such a bad-tempered mentor to me,” he admitted. “I was always glad you were made his apprentice first, so Bramblestar didn't make him my mentor.”

     “He's not so bad,” Ambertalon defended the snobby tom. “I mean, he can be a stuck-up pain in the tail, definitely. But as long as you don't mind giving him a good swipe every time he's being an idiot, then he really is an impressive warrior. I'm glad I had him as my mentor.”

     Blazeheart's whiskers twitched. “Between the two of you, I was always shocked that neither of you two got your ears shredded after six moons of training.”

     Ambertalon purred. “I think he liked bantering with me, honestly. It gave him a good reality check every now and then. But he probably wouldn't have been the best mentor for you, like you said. Bumblestripe seemed like a pretty good match for you.”

     “He was,” Blazeheart mewed, thinking fondly of his former mentor. “He was so patient with me, and always explained everything so well. I'm really glad he was my mentor.”

     The older warrior said, “He must have done a good job, with you being such a good hunter.” Blazeheart ducked his head, purring. “But yeah, as much of a show-off as Berrynose could be, and as proud as he was to have such a great fighter as an apprentice, he was really mad when I nicked Dewpaw. He said he didn't need any apprentice of his acting like some Dark Forest trainee savage.” She rolled her eyes, mewing, “He made such a big deal out of it.”

     “And Snowfall was sore at you all day,” Blazeheart recalled. “He kept complaining that you'd cheated or something. He said there was no way his little mouse of a sister had beat him so quickly.”

     The she-cat's whiskers twitched. “But Dewpaw didn't mind. He just said the nick in his ear made him look like a real warrior. I remember he kept telling the other apprentices at the Gathering that he'd gotten it fighting off a fox trying to kill some kits. I had to set it straight.” Something sad gleamed in the she-cat's eyes as she spoke of her brother.

     Blazeheart felt the old pang of grief at the thought of his old denmate. The moons since Dewpaw's death had made the grief easier to bear, but it still flared up every now and then. And looking at her unusually solemn expression now, he knew it had to be worse for Ambertalon; after all, he'd been her brother, not Blazeheart's.

     Usually, he would avoid bringing up something so heartbreaking for her out of respect, allowing her to make it the subject if she wish. But Ambertalon's extremely blunt, honest nature brought out a certain frankness in him as well. “I'm sorry,” he mewed softly. “I know it's hard, remembering him.”

     Ambertalon cast him a grateful glance. “It's alright,” she mewed honestly. “It's getting easier. It doesn't hurt so much to think about him anymore. It helps to remember the good times we had, instead of thinking about what could have been. We had so many good memories, and I don't want to try and forget them just because it hurts to remember how I lost him.” Her gaze softened as she gazed at Blazeheart. “Snowfall doesn't always want to talk about him. I get it, I do, I know it's harder for him to talk about. But it really does help to talk about him sometimes, so thanks.”

     “No problem,” Blazeheart mewed warmly. “I'd be happy to talk about it any time you want.” He tipped his head, looking at Ambertalon thoughtfully. They had always been friends, as he'd been friends with all of Cloudtail and Brightheart's kits, but he had always been closest with Snowfall. Though he had never considered her just to be Snowfall's sister, he certainly hadn't been as close with her as her brother. He almost felt bad about it now. She was such an interesting cat, and had been a great friend to him.

     Aloud, he mewed, “We should hang out more often. I feel like I don't hunt with you much anymore.”

     Ambertalon blinked at him, amber eyes lighting up. “I'd like that,” she purred.

     Blazeheart's tail curled with pleasure. Before he could reply, a strange scent wafted his way. He stiffened, sniffing at the air. Ambertalon paused and looked at him questioningly. “Blood,” he warned in a low growl. “Prey blood, close by.”

     The she-cat's eyes narrowed into fiery amber chips. “Where?” she growled.

     Without answering, Blazeheart crouched, slinking towards the scent. He kept low, his paws treading soundlessly on the snow as he made a straight path for the scent. Ambertalon kept right behind him, her shoulder brushing against his flank.

     They were close to ShadowClan territory, and the prey-blood scent took them right to the shared border. As they drew closer, Blazeheart's thoughts hardened with anger. Was this the work of ShadowClan thieves again? If Tigerstar was really enough of a fool to let his warriors steal prey again so soon after peace had been found between their Clans, he was going to regret it.

     As they drew closer, Blazeheart crouched along the undergrowth, keeping alert for any nearby intruders. But the snowy forest was silent. The only sign of life was the source of their trail. Right against the shared border with ShadowClan lay a young hare. Or rather, what was left of the hare. It had been mangled and mauled and stripped violently apart into pieces. Parts of the creature were flung all over the border. All around it, the snow was stained bright scarlet with blood, spattered everywhere in a startling display of violence. Blazeheart rose, caution forgotten in sheer horror and disgust.

     Ambertalon approached the hare, glancing over it with growing fury. “They didn't eat any of it!” she spat viciously. “Not a scrap! They didn't kill it for prey, they killed it just to prove they could.”

     “They did it to scare us,” Blazeheart murmured, his mew barely containing his rage. “They wanted us to find it like this.” The sight of such a mangled, destroyed corpse was horrifying enough, but the thought of the intruders wasting prey in such a way was disgusting. He dug his claws deep into the snow, growling, “Do you think it was ShadowClan again?”

     The she-cat lowered her muzzle to the hare, giving it a sniff, before recoiling in disgust. “Not a chance,” she snarled. “See for yourself.”

     Blazeheart approached the mangled creature, his stomach rolling at the sight of it. But he forced himself to crouch beside it, sniffing at its pelt. He stiffened as he caught a familiar scent. The tom looked up, seeing from the grim set to Ambertalon's jaw that they had reached the same conclusion. “Rogues,” he growled. “Breeze's rogues.”

     “This was a warning,” Ambertalon realized, anger blazing in her eyes. “They're telling us to get out while we still can, or else they'll kill us like prey.” Her head flew back, voice suddenly heavy with rage. She bellowed, “Cowards! They think they can scare us! I'll kill every last _one_ of them before I let them touch a _hair_ on any ThunderClan cat's pelt!” Her yowl echoed through the trees, but there was no response. If the rogues truly were watching, Blazeheart realized uneasily, they weren't impressed.

     As his initial rage and fear faded, a grim determination overcame the ginger tom. “Come on, we better tell Bramblestar what's going on.” Blazeheart's stomach churned, but he lowered his muzzle to the ground, scooping his jaws around the body of the hare, lifting it. Ambertalon lowered her head, glancing at him in surprise. “What are you doing?”

     He set the hare at his paws once more. “It's still prey,” he said grimly. “We can't afford to waste it.” Ambertalon's eyes flickered with surprise, but after a moment, she gave a small nod. She scooped together the rest of the hare, gathering it up in her jaws as Blazeheart picked up the body once more. Together, they began the trek back to camp, the rogues' warning dangling from their jaws.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaaaaaaaaand (almost) another month between updates. Apologies. At least it's an extra-long one.
> 
> Also, sorry for the gore at the end there. I dunno whether it was excessive. I debated whether to tone it down, but I decided to put it in as is. But I put a warning on it, just in case.
> 
> Anyway, we get some Ambertalon and Blazeheart bonding, a threat from the rogues, and the first half moon of the month is only two days away. Fun stuff. ^^
> 
> I actually finished this chapter last night, but I really, really wasn't happy with it, mostly the dialogue between Blazeheart and Ambertalon before they find the hare. I pretty much rewrote that whole section today, and I'm much happier with it now, it hits the note I wanted much better.
> 
> Next chapter is from Silentstorm's POV. Once again, I'll try to get it out faster this time, but no promises.


	12. Chapter Ten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Silentstorm roams a certain forest

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 3: Waning Moon  
Chapter Ten

     The wind rustled eerily through the trees overhead. Branches bowed and creaked, leaves crinkling and cracking. Snow had never frozen this ground, and the cold, leafbare breeze didn't blow here, and yet Silentstorm's heart and pelt felt more chilled here than in her own frozen forest.

     Silentstorm padded through the Dark Forest, her thin pelt bristling. This was the first time she'd found herself in this dark place since Shade had told the warrior her name. For almost half a moon now, she'd been trying and trying to bring herself back into the Place of No Stars in her dreams, but she seemed to have no control over when she ended up here. It was beyond frustrating.

     And now, finally, she was here again. As much as her pelt tingled fearfully just at the thought of this place, an odd relief came over her. She had once promised herself that she would never seek out the Dark Forest in dreams, and yet here she was, because she wanted to be here. Because now she could finally question Shade about whether she was behind Breeze's return with his rogue army.

     The only problem was, now that she was finally here, Shade was nowhere to be found. Silentstorm curled her lip back, frustration boiling in her blood. “Come on,” she hissed, lashing her tail. The warrior sped up to a trot, moving swiftly through the forest. The ground felt strange, squelching and crumbling under her paws like rotted wood. The wet, marshy feel of it sent shudders through Silentstorm's pelt. This place disgusted her; she wanted to be as far away from it as possible. But she couldn't leave. She was waiting for Shade.

     The branches creaked and groaned overhead, the ferns rustled lazily as the wind wove through them, but there was still no sign of Shade. Silentstorm grew impatient. “Coward!” she cried, whirling around to yowl at the trees. Her yowl echoed among the branches, but there was no reply. Silentstorm crouched low, her hackles raised and claws unsheathed. “Come out and face me! Or are you too scared?”

     Nothing. The silence pounded against Silentstorm's ears, making her flatten them to get away from it. As much as she hated to admit it, she was afraid. It had been several days since she had first started trying to contact Shade. But she was starting to come to the conclusion that she had no power over whether Shade entered her dreams. Shade had all the power, she controlled whether Silentstorm got to speak with her or not, and it frustrated the warrior to know she was at Shade's mercy. She _had_ to talk to Shade, had to find out how to protect her Clan, but Shade wasn't here, and Shade wouldn't show up until she was well and ready for it, if ever.

     She crouched with her belly fur against the marshy ground, trying to hide how her legs were trembling. Shade was taunting her with her silence; she could feel it. The strange, misty force had brought her here just to prove that she could, and was refusing to show herself, just to show Silentstorm who was in charge here. And there was nothing Silentstorm could do about it. Her Clan needed answers, and she could do nothing to force them out of Shade. She had failed.

      _“Silentstorm!”_

     The she-cat's eyes blinked open. Gone was the musty stench of rotting wood and marshes. She was back in her den, in her nest, with the scents of ThunderClan surrounding her. Slowly, Silentstorm's trembling faded, and her mind cleared of fear. Only faint traces of it remained.

     She turned to the cat who had woken her, twitching her ears forward. “What is it?” she grumbling, reaching a paw up to rub at her muzzle. Her whole body felt groggy with sleep; it was as if she had gotten no rest at all.

     Seedlight stood before her, tail brushing against the mossy floor of the den. “Your brother's back from his patrol,” the older warrior informed her. “There's some sort of meeting being called. I think he and Ambertalon found something.”

     Fear flooded Silentstorm's veins. With Breeze on the loose, a meeting being called about something a patrol found could spell any measure of disaster. She scrambled to her paws, whisking past Seedlight without a word as she pushed her way out of the den.

     Cats were already gathering around the High Ledge. Silentstorm headed to the edge of the crowd, settling in beside Cinderheart and Poppyfrost. Her mother flicked an ear towards her in greeting, but didn't speak, her tail bristling with clear tension. Silentstorm lifted her head, ears flicked towards the High Ledge.

     Bramblestar's rumbling tone came from above. “ThunderClan, Blazeheart and Ambertalon have found something on our borders.”

     There was a shuffling, then Blazeheart's voice sounded from the base of the High Ledge. “We found this hare,” he called to his Clanmates. There was a muffled shuffling sound from the snow as her brother pushed something forward with his paw. There were concerned cries and meows from the crowd. Silentstorm leaned forward, straining her ears to try and figure out what was going on.

     Beside her, Poppyfrost stiffened. “Great StarClan,” she murmured. “It's been torn to pieces!”

     As the murmuring died down, Ambertalon's voice came from beside Blazeheart. “It stinks of Breeze's rogues,” she announced in a sharp snarl. “They left it as a warning. If we don't leave our Clans behind, they'll tear us apart like prey.”

     Fearful cries rose from the crowd. Ice seemed to creep through Silentstorm's pelt, freezing her over with horror. She heard a thin wail from Sorreltail in the back of the crowd, and Cinderheart drew in a sharp breath beside her. “Oh StarClan,” she breathed.

     Not every warrior, however, seemed impressed. “What's the big deal?” Seedlight asked, sounding truly baffled. “It's just a dead hare. We kill those all the time.” Her whiskers twitched. “What, was he trying to prove his cats could hunt?”

     Silentstorm heard Lilyfrost cuff her sister over the ears with one paw. “Mousebrain!” she hissed. “It means his cats were on our territory, and we didn't even know it! They could be anywhere!”

     “And they're not afraid for us to know it,” Bumblestripe added grimly. “They're confident enough that they aren't bothering being sneaky about it. They're flaunting it; they _want_ us to know they're here. They think they have nothing to fear from us on our own territory.”

     Bumblestripe's words sent worried meows and cries rippling through the crowd. Silentstorm's pelt began to prickle, fear making her tail tremble. He was right. The rogues were taunting the Clans, saying they weren't afraid to stroll straight into ThunderClan's territory and waste their prey, just because they could. The boldness of the rogues, and their blatant threat, left the she-cat chilled. She doubted that Breeze would leave a message like unless he was sure he could carry it out.

     Bramblestar's yowl sounded over the clamor of the worried warriors. “There is no call for panic!” he called, his deep yowl making his Clanmates fall silent. He growled, “The mauling of one hare means nothing. Breeze hasn't proved anything, other than that his followers are wasteful hunters.” The certainty in his tone managed to calm Silentstorm's Clanmates, at least a little. She could hear them murmuring to each other, fear still in their mews, but their tones much more subdued.

     Berrynose meowed from somewhere in the crowd, “He's right. What kind of jumpy kits does Breeze take us for? A bloody hare on our border is supposed to scare us?”

     “He's going to have to try a lot harder than that,” Blossomfall growled. Cats began to murmur in agreement, an air of determination sweeping over the crowd. Silentstorm wasn't sure she shared their certainty, but their determination eased her concerns. Her Clanmates would fight beside her no matter what.

     Bramblestar gave a firm nod at the words of his warriors. “This threat will not make us yield,” he rumbled. A fierce anger came to his tone as he added, “ But Breeze and his rogues will not be allowed to breach our borders again. We must make sure our borders are secure. Border patrols will be doubled, and one will be sent out now to make sure that no rogues have remained on our territory.” He lowered his head, rumbling solemnly, “The day of the first half moon draws closer. We can't let Breeze think he has frightened us into submission. We will show him that ThunderClan will not go down without a fight!”

     Yowls of support rose from the listening cats. Silentstorm's own heart was still heavy with fear, but she lifted her muzzle, adding her yowl to the clamor of her Clanmates. The message was clear; ThunderClan would stand together.

     As the yowling died down, Bramblestar leapt down from the High Ledge, Squirrelflight scrambling up to the ledge in his place. “I need a patrol to do a sweep of the ShadowClan border, and another patrol to check the WindClan border,” she called briskly. “Blazeheart, do you remember where you found the hare?”

     There was a pause, as if Silentstorm's brother were surprised to find himself being addressed. “Yes, Squirrelflight,” he mewed quickly. “The whole area's stained with blood. It isn't hard to find.”

     “Very well,” the deputy said. “Take Silentstorm, Snowfall, and Lightpaw out to do a sweep, and check that area again for any rogues. And try to cover up the area as best as you can. StarClan knows we don't need foxes and badgers flocking to our territory on top of everything else because it smells like prey-blood.”

     Blazeheart dipped his head. “Yes, Squirrelflight,” he repeated respectfully.

     As the meeting broke up, Silentstorm rose to her paws, padding towards her brother. She heard Snowfall and Lightpaw approaching as well, pawsteps muffled by the snow. Blazeheart and Ambertalon were still at the base of the High Ledge, the bloody hare in front of their paws. Silentstorm's lip curled as she drew closer to it. It reeked of blood and death, and of rogues, and she could feel the mangled, torn fur as her paws brushed against it. “Wasteful fleabags,” she growled.

     “Well, we're not wasteful,” Blazeheart mewed grimly. “We're putting it on the fresh-kill pile.”

     Silentstorm snorted. “You think any cat's going to want to touch Breeze's threat to tear us all to pieces?”

     “Blazeheart and I can share it tonight,” Ambertalon said fiercely. There was no fear in the bold she-cat's mew. “We're not going to be scared off from eating prey from our own territory just because a bunch of rouges killed it. Our Clanmates can do what they want.”

     Silentstorm just flicked her tail in response. If Ambertalon wanted to eat bloody, torn-up hare that stank of rogue, that was her choice. And at least the rogue's wasteful threat could come to some good use.

     Ambertalon turned to Blazeheart, touching noses with the taller tom. “I think I'm going to try and tag along with that WindClan border patrol. See you later?” Silentstorm noted the warmth in her tone, and how her muzzle lingered next to Blazeheart's a moment longer than usual. She held back a purr; she'd been noticing things like this for a while now between those two.

     “See you then,” Blazeheart agreed cheerfully. Ambertalon gave a friendly flick of her tail, then padded off, leaving Blazeheart with his patrol.

     The tom rose to his paws, meowing, “Come on, let's go.”

     Silentstorm and the others got up to follow Blazeheart as he started off. They padded past the bramble entrance, heading into the forest beyond.

     As they made their way towards the ShadowClan border, they walked mostly in silence, a tense air between the ThunderClan warriors. But finally, Snowfall broke the silence. “So, you were out hunting with Ambertalon when you found the hare?” he asked, a lightness to his mew. The new subject made Silentstorm perk up, her anxiety fading into amusement. Even Lightpaw looked up, ears flicking forward with interest.

     Blazeheart nodded. “Yes, we decided to go for a hunt.”

     “Just the two of you?” Silentstorm asked in a teasing mew.

     Her brother blinked at her, clearly confused. “Yes? What about it?”

     Snowfall and Silentstorm turned towards each other, sharing amused purrs. Blazeheart seemed to grow more confused by the moment. “What?” he asked, clearly baffled. Lightpaw just looked away, clearly not comfortable with teasing the older warrior, but even his whiskers were twitching with amusement.

     Silentstorm's whiskers twitched. “Oh, nothing,” she mewed in a merry purr. “Just wondering whether you managed to catch anything between mooning over each other.”

     Blazeheart's pelt bristled in shock. “Mooning over Ambertalon?” he squeaked, voice going up in a kit-like pitch in his surprise. “I... I don't know what you're talking about.”

     “Oh please,” Snowfall scoffed. “You two have been brushing pelts every chance you get ever since the Gathering.”

     Lightpaw spoke up, murmuring, “You sure do hunt together a lot.” Silentstorm was surprised to hear the shy young tom join in with teasing her brother. She flicked her tail-tip against his shoulder, purring to Lightpaw in encouragement. He seemed to perk up, ears flicking forward with the response to his cautious teasing.

     Silentstorm turned away from the apprentice and back to her brother. “And you've been admiring her for longer than that,” Silentstorm pointed out. “I've heard you go on about how brave she is.”

     Blazeheart ducked his head, pelt fluffed up uncomfortably. “Well, she _is_ ,” he muttered, tail flicking and ears flattened. “She's my friend.”

     “Come on, I know you better than any cat,” Snowfall snorted, nudging his best friend with his shoulder. “I know how you look at your friends. And that's not how you look at my sister.”

     The tom looked away. Silentstorm's whiskers twitched as she held back laughter. It was clear how uncomfortable her brother was, and as much as she loved to tease him, she knew he wasn't going to admit to feeling anything for Ambertalon. Not yet, anyway.

     She flicked her ears towards Snowfall, who gave a good-natured shrug in reply. They'd yanked Blazeheart's whiskers about it long enough. And if they tried teasing Ambertalon like that, she'd shred them to pieces. The two mouse-brains were going to have to figure things out on their own.

     They dropped the subject, Snowfall mewing instead, "Come on. Let's try to get to the border before nightfall."

     The patrol continued on, chatting quietly among themselves. An air of unease had settled back over the cats. They kept their tones hushed, ears flicking and gazes searching for enemies. Silentstorm hated how they had to keep an eye out for danger in their own territory. Part of her hoped they found Breeze, if only so she could claw out his troublesome throat herself and put a stop to all this nonsense.

      Finally, they reached the border. Silentstorm's nostrils were flooded with the stench of blood, making her pelt stand on end. "Is this where you found the hare?" she asked, bile rising in her throat.

     Blazeheart nodded grimly. "The whole place still stinks of it," he growled.

     "You can smell it for fox-lengths," Lightpaw added, quiet worry in his new. He lowered his muzzle to the ground, padding a few steps forward with his nose snuffling against the snow. “The rogue scents are heading into ShadowClan's territory. They must have gone back that way after they took the hare. But they've left most of their stench here.”

     Snowfall lowered his muzzle to sniff at the snow, his lip curling. "Lightpaw's right. Any number of foxes or badgers could smell this and come looking for an easy meal. We need to cover this up.”

     “Let's refresh the border's scent markers and scoop fresh snow over it,” Silentstorm mewed.

     The other cats murmured in agreement. As Lightpaw and Blazeheart began cleaning up and re-marking the border, Silentstorm was distracted by a nearby scent. She lifted her head, sniffing, as Snowfall came to stand at her side. “Trouble?” he asked in a low voice.

     Silentstorm shook her head. “Not of the rogue kind, anyway,” she assured Snowfall. She stepped up to the border, waiting as the scents grew closer.

     A few moments later, a patrol pushed through the ferns on ShadowClan's side of the border. Silentstorm heard a low growl, and pawsteps as the ShadowClan warriors approached them. “What are you doing out here?” a deep voice growled. Silentstorm recognized the growl of Vinescar, one of ShadowClan's new warriors.

     “Renewing the scents on our border,” Snowfall answered calmly. “Same as you.” Lightpaw and Blazeheart had finished cleaning up, and padded over to join their Clanmates by the border.

     There was a snuffling sound, and an unfamiliar growl. “I smell prey-blood,” the new cat grunted. “Not stealing prey by any chance, are you?”

     “After everything from the last two moons, I don't think ShadowClan warriors have any standing to accuse other Clans of stealing prey,” Blazeheart pointed out, a hard edge to his tone.

     The ShadowClan cat stiffened. “How dare -!”

     “Sheathe your claws, Mintleaf,” a familiar voice mewed. Silentstorm's ears perked forward at the sound of Specklefoot's mew. Specklefoot glared at her Clanmate for a moment, then turned back to the ThunderClan cats, mewing, “Sorry. We weren't accusing you of anything.”

     Silentstorm dipped her head to her friend. “We understand,” she said graciously. She wondered whether Bramblestar would mind her telling them the truth, then recalled the the rogue scents were in ShadowClan's territory as well, and they deserved to know. “We've caught rogue scents on our side of the border,” she told the ShadowClan warriors. “Looks like Breeze's cats aren't afraid to cross Clan borders.”

     She heard a growl from one of the ShadowClan warriors. Dawnpelt's growl sounded, saying, “Cowardly old snake. He'd rather sneak around inside Clans' borders than face us in the open.”

     Silentstorm wasn't sure she agreed that Breezepelt's thievery was a result of cowardice, but she didn't challenge the older warrior. “The scents track back into your territory,” she told the ShadowClan warriors. “You might want to follow their trail and make sure there aren't any rogues still in your territory.”

     “We will, thank you,” Specklefoot mewed, dipping her head respectfully. Silentstorm dipped her head in reply. As she raised her head, she heard Specklefoot still looking towards her. Her tone was friendlier than Silentstorm usually heard it, much like she had been at the last Gathering. In a low voice, so her Clanmates didn't hear, Specklefoot mewed, “The Clans are going to need to work together to keep ourselves safe from Breeze and his followers.”

     The ThunderClan warrior flicked her ear in agreement. She was glad that her friend was willing to listen to her, rather than puffing herself up and putting her Clan's pride before common sense. But before she could respond to Specklefoot, a crackling voice rasped in her ears. _“Do you really think anything will make you safe, forest fool?”_

      _Shade._ Silentstorm's eyes narrowed, and she swallowed back a growl. She had to speak to Shade soon. If she didn't find out the dark creature's plans with the rogues, all the Clans might face destruction.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Thanksgiving everyone! :D Or, if you're not American/not currently celebrating, then have a happy Thursday. ^^ The origins of Thanksgiving may be questionable, but it's nice to have family over and eat good food together.
> 
> Sorry once again that this took so long. I was busy with school, as well as working on ThunderClan's Despair, which took precedent for a bit. For those who don't know, a friend of mine, Kat, and I have been writing a Warriors Halloween fanfic together called ThunderClan's Despair, and you should totally go check it out. ;) It's on deviantArt and BlogClan.
> 
> Anyway, more with the stolen hare, teasing Blazeheart, and talking with ShadowClan.
> 
> Next chapter will be from Blazeheart's POV. We're getting closer to the first half moon here...
> 
> Next chapter will be from Blazeheart's POV. We're getting closer to the first half moon here...


	13. Chapter Eleven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blazeheart goes on a patrol.

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 3: Waning Moon  
Chapter Eleven

     “Nice catch!”

     Blazeheart looked up, ears flicking forward. A scrawny thrush lay limp under his front paws. “Thanks,” he murmured, blinking wearily at Cinderheart. With one paw, he began dusting snow and leaves over his catch. “It's only good for a few mouthfuls, though.”

     “Every little bit helps,” his mother pointed out. She touched her nose to his head, whiskers brushing against his ears as she spoke. “Don't be too down on yourself, alright? Even the best hunter can't make prey appear out of thin air.”

     The young tom could only give a half-hearted purr in reply. After a moment, Cinderheart pulled away, saying, “Come on. We need to reach the WindClan border before sunfall.” Blazeheart flicked his tail in reply. He returned his attention to his prey, burrying it completely under snow and dirt. Once it was burried, he padded off, following his mother and Leafpool as they set off into the snowy forest.

     One day was left before the half moon. The playful innocence of the last day's hunt with Ambertalon felt like it was moons away. Dread of the imending deadline had settled its claws once more over the tom. It was bad enough that leafbare had barely begun and was already making hunting harder, without having to worry about rogues and their warnings. ThunderClan cats were going to their nest with empty bellies every night, and the slain hare on the border had brought a cloud of fear hanging over ThunderClan.

     But oddly, the closeness of the half moon had softened the Blazeheart's panic to a dull weariness. Whatever Breeze had planned, in a day's time, it would be out in the open for every cat to face, no longer just a nameless fear to haunt their thoughts. Blazeheart would be glad when the half moon warning was behind them, and they would have half a moon's time left before the next half moon.

     Blazeheart kept his dark thoughts to himself as the patrol continued through the woods. He trailed along at the back, Cinderheart and Leafpool trudging through the snow ahead of them. Watching the she-cats murmur to each other as they walked drew Blazeheart out of his anxious tangle of thoughts for a moment.

     For Blazeheart, it was always interesting to see his mother and the former medicine cat interact. In another life, Cinderheart had been Leafpool's mentor. Leafpol never brought up Cinderheart's past life without the she-cat bringing it up first, always trying to treat Cinderheart as her own cat rather than a shadow of her mentor.

     But Blazeheart could always see hints of their old relationship in how the she-cats interacted. Every so often, Cinderheart would take on an instructive tone with the pale tabby, without even seeming to realize it. Whenever they were on patrol together, Leafpool would fall instinctively at Cinderheart's flank, like an apprentice being led by her mentor. It was small touches like that which always made Blazeheart wonder how much of his mother was Cinderheart and how much was Cinderpelt, and how much the two were one and the same.

     Ahead, the two she-cats had paused, crouched together beside a snowy bush. “Look at this,” Cinderheart murmered, nosing a few flower buds along the bush. “Chamomile that's survived the frost.”

     “Chamomile won't help heal injured warriors,” Leafpool pointed out. “Unless someone's eyes get scratched.”

     Cinderheart shook her head. “You're right. But in the old forest, we used it as a traveling herb for cats making the journey to Highstones.”

     Leafpool perked her ears. “I remember,” she said, eyes glazing over. In a brisk mew, she began listing off the uses of the herb, mewing, “We used it for healing injured eyes, strengthening the heart, soothing the mind, and strengthening the body.”

     Cinderheart seemed to notice Blazeheart standing a few tail-lengths away. She waved him over with her tail, explaining to her son, “Back in the old forest, Clan leaders spoke more often with StarClan, visiting with Moonstone whenever they needed the advice of our ancestors. They would often take a warrior escort, as it was a long journey across WindClan's moor and across a Thunderpath to reach the Highstones. It was a requirement for an apprentice to travel with the leader to the Highstones at least once before they could become a warrior.”

     Blazeheart's tail flicked in surprise. It was usually the medicine cat who traveled to the Moonpool these days. He didn't think he could remember a single instance when Bramblestar had traveled to speak to his ancestors, rather than sending Jayfeather, or just asking him to meet with StarClan in his dreams. He couldn't imagine being required to travel to the Highstones in order to earn his name.

     His mother continued, “Cats who were going to share dreams with StarClan weren't allowed to eat before meeting with their ancestors, but the cats escorting them were allowed to eat. Medicine cats would give them traveling herbs like chamomile or sorrel to eat before leaving camp. The herbs would dampen a cat's appetite and fill them up, and lent cats the energy they needed to trek across the vast moor.”

     Leafpool's eyes widened. “We can use them if cats aren't getting enough to eat during leafbare,” she realized. Cinderheart gave a small nod, giving off an almost approving air. Blazeheart was once again struck by how much the two sometimes acted like mentor and apprentice. Leafpool lowered her muzzle to the ground, scooping snow away from the flowers and snipping them off by the stalks. “I'll take these back to Jayfeather and see whether he thinks he should use them,” she mewed.

     Blazeheart said nothing, only flicking his tail as Leafpool carried the buds over to a tree to store them under the roots. Leafpool had gotten better at hunting and fighting in the seasons since she had become a warrior, but it clear to every cat that she was still a medicine cat at heart. Even Cinderheart, who had wholeheartedly chosen the life of a warrior, still slipped into the mindset of a healer every now and again, though far less often than Leafpool. Sometimes, it felt like the Clan had three medicine cats instead of one.

     Once Leafpool had stored away the chamomile, the patrol continued on, trudging through the snow towards the moorlands. The trees began to thin out, and they soon reached the border connecting WindClan's territory to ThunderClan's. Blazeheart stiffened as they neared the border, fearing they would come to the spot where Darkbreeze and Silentstorm always met. His Clanmates probably wouldn't appreciate finding the strong scents of two of their warriors at the border. But to his relief, Leafpool led them further down the treeline.

     As they approached the border, Blazeheart saw distant shapes moving through the trees towards them. His hackles began to rise, only to lower as he recognized a WindClan patrol approaching the border from their own side of the woods. Leafpool raised her tail, signaling her Clanmates to stop behind her, as the patrol drew near. “How's the prey running?” she called out.

     The WindClan cats halted on their side of the scent marks. Like the ThunderClan patrol, there were only three cats, and only one senior warroir, Emberfoot. He was followed by two younger she-cats, Larksong and Darkbreeze. Blazeheart avoided Darkbreeze's gaze, not wanting his mother and denmate to suspect that he knew the WindClan she-cat better than he should.

     “Leafpool,” Emberfoot greeted cooly, his eyes narrowing as he assessed the former medicine cat. Leafpool met his gaze evenly. “What brings you out here?”

     “Checking our borders, same as you,” Cinderheart answered for her Clanmate. “We caught some rogue scents yesterday, so we want to make sure everything is secure.”

     Suspicion lingered in the gray tom's eyes, but his Clanmates didn't seem to share his wariness. Darkbreeze's gaze darkened, and Larksong mewed, “There's been rogue scents in our territory too. And prey's gone missing.”

     Blazeheart's ears flicked forward in surprise. The only prey theft from the rogues he knew about was the slain hare on the border. Had they taken ThunderClan prey without being seen, or were they taking more prey from WindClan for some reason? “Have you seen rogues hunting on your territory?” he asked.

     Darkbreeze shook her head. “No. But we've found blood and fur, and there's usually rogue scents nearby.”

     The tom frowned. It sounded like the rogues were getting bolder, and they seemed to know how to move through the various Clans' territories at the right times to not be spotted. Though, he supposed it made sense that they would know WindClan's territory well, considering their leader had once been a warrior of WindClan.

     As he was thinking, Leafpool mewed, “The half moon is only one day away.” Blazeheart could see fear glowing in her amber eyes. “They're getting bolder.” She glanced at the WindClan cats, asking, “How are you preparing for the half moon warning?”

     Emberfoot curled his lip, snapping, “That's not ThunderClan's business.” Blazeheart flinched, glancing at Leafpool and watching her recoil in surprise. The she-cat still acted like a medicine cat, disregarding boundaries to lend to the aid of all Clans. She seemed to forget she was a warrior now, and questions like that would be regarded with suspicion now. Blazeheart glanced back at Emberfoot, only hoping she hadn't angered the WindClan cats too much.

     Before any ThunderClan cat could retort, Larksong whirled on her Clanmate, green eyes flashing with annoyance. “Put your claws away, will you?” she hissed. “These rogues threaten us all.” The gray she-cat turned back to the ThunderClan cats, mewing, “We've fortified our camp and we're keeping an eye on our borders. That's about as much as any cat can do. What about ThunderClan?”

     “About the same,” Leafpool told her. “All we can do now is wait.”

     Larksong dipped her head to the older she-cat. “We should return. Good luck to you and your Clan, Leafpool.”

     “And good luck to you and yours,” Leafpool returned. She gave a friendly wave of her tail as the WindClan cats began to pad away, heading back towards the moorlands.

     Emberfoot and Larksong started heading away, but Darkbreeze lingered a moment, her tail curling as she glanced over at Blazeheart. “Good to see you again, Blazeheart,” she purred in a voice too low for Blazeheart's Clanmates to hear. “Give my best to your sister?”

     Blazeheart was once again thrown off by the blatant friendliness of the enemy warrior. Darkbreeze always seemed to address cats from other Clans with the same cheer and openness as a close Clanmate. But after everything that had happened with his sister, and fighting beside her in ShadowClan's camp, somehow it no longer felt as awkward. He gave a friendly flick of his ear, mewing, “I will. Good luck for tomorrow.”

     Darkbreeze gave a small nod. “You too.” With a final, cheerful twitch of her tail, the slender tabby bounded after her Clanmates. Blazeheart felt a burst of almost fond exasperation at the she-cat's cheer, then turned back to his Clanmates. Cinderheart and Leafpool were already padding away from the border. He padded after them, coming to walk beside his mother.

     Cinderheart glanced over at him as he caught up to her. “What was that about?” she asked. Blazeheart knew he wasn't imagining the wary curiosity in her gaze. With their kin's history with relationships beyond Clan borders, he really couldn't blame her suspicion.

     “Just wishing her luck for the half moon,” Blazeheart answered honestly. “We're all going to need it.” Cinderheart watched him a moment longer. Then, with a shrug, she looked away.

**SCENEBREAK**

     After picking up their thrush and chamomile, the border patrol returned to camp. Blazeheart didn't say much as they trudged towards the stone hollow, his jaws closed around the stiff, frozen bird. He was still frustrated that he hadn't managed to catch more before returning to camp. The fresh-kill pile had been low before he'd left camp, and he'd wanted to bring back more to stock it up for the half moon.

     As they approached the entrance, raised voices and snarls could be heard from within. The three cats exchanged concerned glances, then pushed through the bramble entrance. When they walked in, Blazeheart could see Jayfeather and Lionblaze in the center of camp, facing each other with hackles raised. Blazeheart recoiled in surprise.

     “Will you stop being a stubborn mousebrain for once and just _listen?_ ” Lionblaze was growling. Blazeheart's father was glaring down Jayfeather, looming over the smaller tom with an irritable glow to his amber eyes and a slowly twitching tail. Jayfeather was standing before his brother, looking unfazed as his sightless glare narrowed and his back fur bristled. Around the stone hollow, cats were watching the brothers glare each other down with unease.

     The medicine cat growled, “It's not for you to decide.”

     “Jayfeather -”

     “Tomorrow is the half moon.” Jayfeather swept his tail behind him. “I've already spoken with the other medicine cats through their dreams. We're going to meet at the Moonpool as planned.”

     Blazeheart and his patrol padded into camp, circling carefully around the arguing toms. Neither brother seemed to notice the cats entering camp. Blazheart saw Silentstorm sitting by the fallen birch, and made his way over to her, sitting beside her. “They've certainly gotten their tails in a twist,” he murmured to his sister. She merely grunted in agreement, her ears perked towards the tom's argument.

     Lionblaze growled, “It's too dangerous. Breeze knows when the medicine cats meet with StarClan, he can use this as a chance to attack.” Blazeheart tried not to look too alarmed. He didn't usually see his father this worked up, and he and Jayfeather didn't usually fight like this. It was truly a testament to how tense the rogues had made his Clan that they were fighting like this, and that none of their Clanmates had stopped them yet.

     “I know that,” Jayfeather snorted. “I'm not a kit. But we must speak with StarClan.”

     From the High Ledge, Bramblestar lay beside Squirrelflight, watching the toms below. Bramblestar called out to Lionblaze, “Your brother has a point. The meeting of the medicine cats is too important for –”

     The golden tabby whirled on his leader, snapping, “I know that!” He turned back to Jayfeather. “But don't you see? This could be exactly the warning Breeze was talking about! Five medicine cats with little battle training, fast asleep by the Moonpool, would be easy pickings for a rogue patrol. Breeze's cats could murder you in your sleep, and we'd all be left without our medicine cats.”

     Jayfeather faced his brother calmly. “I know, Lionblaze. But this is too important. We have to share dreams with StarClan.”

     “Can't you just share dreams with them from camp?” Lionblaze pleaded.

     The smaller tom shook his head. “I could, of course. But it's easier for our ancestors to speak with us from the Moonpool.” He lowered his voice; Blazeheart had to strain his ears to hear them. “And if we don't go to the Moonpool, our Clanmates will lose heart. We have to go, to show them Breeze can't intimidate us. We won't let him stand between us and StarClan.”

     Lionblaze searched his brother's gaze desperately for a few moments. After a brief silence, he sighed. “Stubborn as a badger,” he grumbled. “Fine. Then I'm coming with you. I'll watch out while you're all sharing dreams with StarClan.”

     Jayfeather rolled his eyes, scoffing, “Don't be a mousebrain. You're not going anywhere. The Clan needs you here. We can't have our invincible warrior out of camp on the day Breeze has promised to punish us.”

     “Well, you can't got alone,” Lionblaze told him firmly. “If you're going, you need a warrior escort.”

     Beside Blazeheart, Silentstorm stood, padding towards her father and Jayfeather. “I'll go,” she mewed calmly. “Ivypool taught me everything she knows about fighting. I think I can keep one scrawny little tom safe.”

     Jayfeather turned his sightless glare on the massive she-cat, giving a small hiss. Before he could retort, Blazeheart rose to his paws. “I'll come too,” he mewed. He might as well go with his sister to protect their kin. Besides, he'd never seen the Moonpool before, and maybe it could be like the apprentices in the old forest taking the journey to the Moonstone. And perhaps being so close to StarClan would make him feel more assured about facing the rogues.

     Jayfeather hesitated, then sighed. “Fine. I'll let the others know to bring escorts too. Might as well have a proper guard to come with us.” He pushed past his brother, truding to his den with his tail lashing back and forth.

     Blazeheart watched him go, aprehension and relief battling within him. Tomorrow, they would finally know what Breeze was planning for them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ack, didn't mean to take so long on that update again. Sorry for the wait. I got slammed with finals, busy with the holidays, and then it was just hard getting back into the swing of things with writing. I finally got this one done, though. I'm not totally happy with it, but ah well, next chapter should be better.
> 
> So yeah, next chapter will cover the half moon. ^^ Next chapter will be Silentstorm's POV, and I hope it lives up to expectations, if there were any.


	14. Chapter Twelve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The half moon has arrived, and the medicine cats must go to the Moonpool

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 3: Waning Moon  
Chapter Twelve

     Silentstorm poked her head inside the medicine den. “Are you ready yet?”

     She was greeted with a swipe of claws towards her face, which she easily avoided. “Go away! I'm still working on something,” Jayfeather hissed.

     “Well, finish up so we can get going,” Silentstorm sniffed. She backed out of the den, returning to the spot by the fallen birch where her brother waited. Blazeheart was sitting close to the birch, sniffing the air in the direction of the fresh-kill pile. His stommach gave a loud rumbling noise, and Silentstorm felt hers wasn't far behind, as it clenched tight with hunger.

     It was nearing sunhigh, and both cats had been awake since early morning, helping stock the fresh-kill pile and preparing the camp's defenses. Silentstorm's legs already ached from her work, and her belly was maddeningly empty, hunger pangs racking through her body. It was bad enough that leafbare had made prey scarce and most of the prey was being given to the kits and elders. But Jayfeather, without explaining why, had told them not to stuff themselves with prey.

     At least her hunger was keeping her mind off of darker thoughts. The day of the half moon had finally come. ThunderClan had not abandoned their camp, each other, or the warrior code as Breeze had ordered. And now, they would have to face Breeze's punishment, whatever that would be. The entire Clan was on edge. Barely anyone was speaking to each other, and she had heard a few snarling fits break out between cats who were usually friends.

     Bramblestar was keeping patrols as light as possible today, sending as few patrols with as many cats as he could, so if Breeze and his cats did decide to attack, there would be enough cats to face him. Silentstorm could only hope that it would be enough. She knew how many cats followed Breeze. If he decided to lead a full attack on ThunderClan, she wasn't sure they could survive it.

     A violent rumble from her stomach drew the she-cat out of her thoughts. She shook her head, giving a low growl. Jayfeather was taking too long, and without being allowed to eat all day, she was crabby and hungry.

     “Interfering old tabby,” Silentstorm grumbled. She swung her head towards the fresh-kill pile, tasing the tantilizing scent of prey wafting her way. As Blazeheart ducked his head against the cold, she nudged his shoulder with one paw, joking, “I bet you a moon's worth of patrols I can sneak over and down two mice before he notices a thing. He'll never have to know.”

     Blazeheart's whiskers twitched. “You're too slow,” he teased. “I'm lighter and faster. You go distract him, and I'll get the prey.”

     “That's mousebrained,” Silentstorm snorted. “He'd see my thoughts and know what we were up to.”

     Her brother replied, “He's a scrawny little thing. Just sit on him and keep him from stopping me.”

      _Mrowrrs_ of laughter burst from the hefty she-cat. Even with the threat of attack from Breeze hanging over the camp like a stormcloud, she was glad she could still joke with her brother. She was about to reply when nearby pawsteps alerted her. Jayfeather had left his den, and was approaching the siblings.

     As he reached them, Silentstorm scented something in his jaws, which was dropped by his paws. “Sniggering to each other like half-moon-old kits?” the small tom grumbled. He paused, no doubt reading their thoughts, then swiveled his ears towards Silenstorm. He threatened in a low growl, “Try it, and you'll have fleas in your nest for a moon.”

     Blazeheart gave a _mrowrr_ of amusement. “It'd be worth it to see you being sat on like an oversized kit,” he joked. The young tom rose to his paws, leaning his muzzle down to smell what had dropped by Jayfeather's paws. Silentstorm leaned forward from where she was sitting, sniffing towards his paws, recongizing the scent of leaves. “What're these herbs for?” her brother asked.

     “You,” Jayfeather grunted. With one paw, he separated the bundle of leaves and flowers into two neat piles. “Sorrel, burnet, and chamomile. Eat up.”

     Silentstorm recoiled, lip curling. “You want us to _eat_ those?” she demanded.

     Jayfeather's whiskers twitched at her disgusted reaction. “Yes,” he told her. “These are traveling herbs. They will give you the strength and energy you'll need to make the journey to the Moonpool, and they will keep your hunger at bay.”

     The she-cat's nose wrinkled in disgust. It was bad enough when foul-smelling herbs and disgusting poultices were slathered over her wounds. Now she actually had to _eat_ the revolting things? “Why can't we just eat a mouse to give us energy?” she asked.

     “It won't fill you enough,” Jayfeather replied. “You'll need enough to keep you going until moonhigh, and we can't hunt outside our territory. Come on.” He nudged the herbs closer to her, mewing, “Eat, so we can get going.”

     Reluctantly, Silentstorm crouch, lapping up the collection of leaves. She fought the urge to gag as a bitter, foul taste flooded her senses. “Blech!” Beside her, Blazeheart made a sound of disgust as he ate his herbs, but didn't protest further. It took a considerable amount of willpower to finishing chewing and swallowing the revolting leaves instead of spitting them out.

     Once she has finished off the herbs, Silentstorm began grooming, desperate to get the filthy taste off of her tongue. Between laps, she grumbled, “I'm never going to get that smell out of my nose.”

     “Tough,” Jayfeather mewed briskly, rising to his paws. “Come on, let's get going. We need to meet the others by sundown.”

     Still grumbling, Silentstorm got up, following him and Blazeheart as they began padding out of camp. “Is it just me, or is he more grumpy than usual?” she grumbled to her brother. Not that she could blame him, with the threat of Breeze's punishment.

     Blazeheart gave a soft _mrowrr_. “You always were such a kit when it came to taking your herbs,” he teased his sister, his tail flicking gently against her side. She chose to ignore him, licking her lips, still trying to wash the taste from her mouth, and to fend off the feeling of gloom and fear.

**SCENEBREAK**

     By the time they reached the WindClan border, the sun's warmth had all but faded, the sun setting fast. As much as she still hated the taste of the herbs, Silentstorm had to admit that they'd been effective. Her veins were surging with energy; she felt more than ready for the trek across the moorland.

     Silentstorm caught several unfamiliar scents as they approached the border, and the greeting mews of nearby cats.

     “Jayfeather!” a bright mew called. Silentstorm heard the unfamiliar tom hop onto his paws, bounding forward to touch noses with Jayfeather. She was surprised at the cheerful greeting, and the fact that Jayfeather let it slide without a retort. “How's the prey running?”

     “Well enough, considering it's leafbare,” Jayfeather answered evenly. He waved his tail towards his escorts, mewing “Silentstorm, Blazeheart, this is Kestrelflight. Kestrelflight, these are my brother's kits.” Soft pawsteps approached. “And this is Icefur,” Jayfeather added, “Kestrelflight's apprentice.”

     Silentstorm recognized the names of WindClan's medicine cats. “Nice to meet you,” Icefur mewed in a soft voice.

     “Oh yes, I remember, you two were made warriors last moon,” Kestrelflight recalled in a cheery tone. “Congratulations!” To Silentstorm's surprise, he strode right up to her, giving her the same familiar nose-to-nose greeting he had given Jayfeather. “You must have your father's strength, and your mother's wisdom.” Kestrelflight moved to her brother next, touching noses eagerly with him as well.

     The warrior blinked a few times, taking a moment to process what had just happened. Then, after a moment's consideration, she purred. “I certainly hope so,” she told the medicine cat.

     As Kestrelflight puleld away, freetings were being exchanged all around them by the medicine cats. But not every cat shared their feelings of friendly ease. Every medicine cat had brought one or two warriors to escort them, and from the way she heard several pelts bristling uncomfortably, she guessed they were less inclined to be so friendly to warriors from other Clans.

     Silentstorm recognized Emberfoot and Crouchfoot of WindClan, standing close together and watching the cats around them warily. Grasspelt and Leafdrift of RiverClan were staying pretty close to Willowshine, and she couldn't yet scent the cat Twigclaw had brougth along with him. All of the warriors were staying fairly separate. But Blazeheart went to rejoin Jayfeather, Silentstorm padded over to the RiverClan cats anyway. “Good to see you again, Willowshine,” she purred, brushing muzzle with the fluffy she-cat.

     Willowshine gave a friendly purr as she touched noses with the blind she-cat. “Silentstorm! Wonderful to see you.” Grasspelt and Leafdrift also stepped forward to greet Silentstorm, purring and mewing greetings, seeming more relaxed in the presence of a cat they knew well. The ThunderClan warrior was surrounded on all sides by purring RiverClan cats. She closed her eyes, overcome with a sense of contentment to see her old friends again.

     “How's Slushpaw's training coming along, Leafdrift?” Silentstorm asked as the cats all pulled away.

     Leafdrift mewed, “Well. He's becoming a great swimmer; that thick pelt of his helps him keep warm, even in leafbare-cold water.”

     Nearby, Grasspelt purred. “My kits can't wait to be the greatest warriors they can for RiverClan.” Silentstorm had almost forgotten the apprentices were his kits. “They still talk about you, Silentstorm. Swanpaw caught a squirrel the other day; she says she wants to keep the skills you taught us sharp, so she can keep our Clan safe if we lose the lake again.”

     Silentstorm's chest swelled up with pride. As glad as she was that she had returned to ThunderClan, rather than remaining as a RiverClan cat, it made her proud to know that she'd had a significant impact on her friends there. “I'm sure they'll be great warriors, Grasspelt,” she purred.

     “Silentstorm.” The blind she-cat paused, turning to face the new cat who had spoken. A familiar ShadowClan warrior was approaching, tail flicking behind her in a friendly manner.

     Her ears perked immediately. “Specklefoot!” Silentstorm rose to her paws, leaving her RiverClan friends and coming to touch noses with Specklefoot. “Twigclaw brought you as his escort?”

     “Yes,” Specklefoot replied. “He said he could go alone, but Tigerstar wouldn't let him go alone. Not with Breeze out there. So I said I'd go.” Silentstorm didn't miss the hitch in her friend's tone. Twigclaw was Specklefoot's brother, and from the little Specklefoot had told her, she had gathered that it wasn't the best relationship. Having to escort him alone must have been awkward, and it brought up the question of why Specklefoot had offered to escort him in the first place.

     She spared Specklefoot from having to explain further by changing the subject. “So, how are the kittypets settling in?”

     “Very well,” the older warrior said. “They've really stepped up to the task of helping the Clan through leafbare. I've never met any cat who hunts as much as Mintleaf, and Vinescar is always out patrolling the borders. Stoatpaw gets along with all of the apprentices, and she's really advanced in her training, and Oddtail and Pepperpelt go on every patrol they can catch.”

     Before Silentstorm could respond, Jayfeather's growl sounded a few paces away. “Enough chatter. Come on, we have to reach the Moonpool before Moonhigh.”

     With a shuffling of many paws, the jumble of cats set off together, veering away from ThunderClan's forest and setting out into the open moorland. Silentstorm's ears flattened against her head. The familiar sound of the wind weaving through the trees had replaced by the roar of wind sweeping over the open moors.

     Specklefoot was padding alongside Silentstorm, helping guide the blind cat through the unfamiliar moorland. Silentstorm always felt uncomfortable with unfamiliar ground under her paws, and the way the wind blasted in her ears, without being muffled by the trees, made it worse. She grumbled to Specklefoot, “I swear, I don't understand how WindClan can live out in the open like this. I feel so exposed out here.”

     The ShadowClan warrior merely _mrowrred_ in reply. A few paces ahead of them, Kestrelflight called back, “I know it feels weird to you, but it feels just as strange to me when I'm in your forest. All those trees blocking out the sky, muffling all the sounds of the wind and the hares and birds.” His whiskers twitched. “Besides, how are you supposed to chase down hares with all those trees in the way? We'd be running into those things left and right!”

     Silentstorm purred in amusement. More and more, she was finding that she liked Kestrelflight. His bright, cheery nature reminded her a lot of Darkbreeze. “I'm sure I'd be tripping into rabbitholes if I was left out on the moor for too long, so we're even,” she joked. She could hear Kestrelflight _mrowrring_ as he went further ahead to speak with Willowshine.

     Once he was out of earshot, Silentstorm turned back to Specklefoot. “Thanks for helping me, anyway,” she mewed. “I can make my way well enough on my own territory, but I don't know the moor that well.”

     Specklefoot shrugged. “No problem.” She hesitated, then added gruffly, “What are friends for?”

     Silentstorm's ears perked. She liked to consider herself and the ShadowClan warrior friends, but after how suspicious Specklefoot had initally been of her, and how stand-offish the she-cat could sometimes be, it was nice to hear her acknowledge it. Her Clanmates probably wouldn't be thrilled to know she had close friends in all four Clans, but then, they didn't need to know.

     And besides, she reflected as she could hear the uncomfortable bristling of the warriors around her, perhaps it wouldn't be bad to have friends across Clan borders in these hard times.

**SCENEBREAK**

     They continued their friendly chatter as they trekked through the moorlands. The bitter frost of night was settling over the moor, leaving Silentstorm's pelt chilled. She and Specklefoot walked close together, pelts brushing to try and stay warm. The whole group was walking in a tight formation, cats of all four Clans huddling reluctantly together in an effort to keep warm.

     The energy lent to Silentstorm's paws by the herbs was starting to fade. Her paw pads were sore, and her legs ached. They had been walking for nearly half a day.

     Somewhere from the back of the group, Grasspelt grumbled, “Are we there yet?”

     Pawsteps ahead of her fell silent, and Specklefoot nudged her shoulder to warn her to stop walking as the group came to a halt. “Yes,” Jayfeather's mew came from the front. “We're here.”

     Silentstorm's ears flicked forward with interest. They had reached the top of a rocky ridge, overlooking some kind of hollow. She strained her ears, but she couldn't determine how far down it went.

     “Come on,” Twigclaw murmured. “StarClan is waiting.”

     They began the descent down the ridge into the hollow. The snow seemed to receed away from the hollow, giving way to solid ground very shortly under the ridge. Silentstorm felt cold, water-washed stones and dirt under her paws as she followed the others. For a moment, she felt uneasy on this unknown, unstable ground. But Specklefoot guided her with little nudges, murmuring reassurance to her friend, and soon Silentstorm grew more confident.

     As they padded further down the hollow, Silentstorm realized the ground wasn't just unfamiliar. There were indents in the ground, dimples and dips, strangely shaped. It took a few moments for her to realize they were pawprints. Somehow, the realization brought her comfort. Her paws were not the first to walk this path, and she almost thought she could feel pelts of cats brushing against hers, the pelts of those long past, who still watched over her.

     Cold water lapped at her paws, making her flinch back in surprise. They had reached the edge of the Moonpool itself. Awed, Silentstorm lowered her muzzle to the water's surface. She lowered her nose to the water. Her body instantly felt warm, something like ice and starlight burning through her veins, reminding her of snow and ice, but also of the warmth of greenleaf.

     “Lift your muzzle.” Jayfeather's grunt sounded near her ear. Startled, Silentstorm jerked her head up, breaking her contact with the water. The small tom was beside her, Specklefoot still on her other side. “You and the other warriors are here to guard us, but the Moonpool and the dream we will share with StarClan, are only for the medicine cats.”

     “Sorry.” She backed away from the water's edge, listening as Jayfeather settled onto the stones. Twigclaw, Kestrelflight, Icefur, and Willowshine all lay down as well, touching their noses to the water. After a few moments, each cat's breath slowed, as the medicine cats slipped off into dreams with StarClan.

     Once she was sure they were all asleep, Silentstorm turned to the other warriors, meowing aloud, “Well, what now?” Somehow, she knew that they didn't have to whisper; their words would not pull the medicine cats so easily from their dreams.

     “We need eyes around the entire ridge,” Crouchfoot said. The WindClan warrior paused, craning his neck to get a look around the hollow, before mewing, “Four cats on the ridge to keep an eye out for danger, and three cats to stay by the medicine cats, so we can wake them quickly if we need to fight.”

     There were murmurs of agreement from the rest of the warriors, though Silentstorm noticed an uneasy edge to some of them. Clearly, not all of these cats were ready to take orders from an enemy warrior. “I can stay with the medicine cats,” Silentstorm volunteered, trying to steer the conversation away from orders and unease. She joked, “You'll probably want cats on watch duty who actually have a pair of working eyes.”

     Her remark earned an amused snort from Leafdrift, and a twitch of Blazeheart's whiskers, but the others didn't react. Silentstorm sobered, feeling the tension in the air. They all knew the stakes, and how dangerous it was to be out in the open like this, so alone and exposed on the day that Breeze had promised to punish them.

     “Blazeheart and I can stay with her,” Specklefoot meowed, after consulting briefly with the tom. “The rest of you can keep a watch above.”

     There was a low snarl from Emberfoot. “Are we supposed to trust the safety of our medicine cats with our enemies?”

     His comment brought on a series of snarls and hisses, the tension spiking. Grasspelt was facing Crouchfoot with a lashing tail, Specklefoot glaring down Emberfoot and Leafdrift. “How do we know we can trust _you_ to keep watch?” Specklefoot challenged in turn, her hackles raised.

     Silentstorm felt a blaze of frustration. She knew they were all scared for their Clanmates, and the threats of Breeze had them all afraid, but they didn't have time for snarling at each other when they needed to be working together.

     “Enough.” It was Blazeheart who had spoken. Her brother's even mew brought the snarls to a halt, the warriors falling silent. Blazeheart padded up to Emberfoot, facing the senior WindClan warrior calmly. “Emberfoot, Jayfeather is our kin, and Specklefoot is Twigclaw's sister. We will guard these cats with our lives, and we will guard your medicine cats just as fiercly. Do your job, and trust us to do ours.”

     For a moment, Silentstorm feared the WindClan tom would strike her brother. She could hear a low snarl coming from his direction. Then, after a moment, he gave a low sigh. “Fine.” Without another work, the tom turned and padded away, joining Leafdrift, Crouchfoot, and Grasspelt as they ascended up the hollow onto the ridge.

     Silentstorm listened as their pawsteps receeded, waiting for the other warriors to drift out of earshot. Once they were gone, she turned to Specklefoot and Blazeheart. “That could've gone better,” she mewed. “I thought Emberfoot was going to start a real fight there.”

     “Well, it's not surprising he's concerned,” Blazeheart said. “Icefur's his daughter, and he's just left her asleep and vulnerable, under the watch of enemy warriors.”

     She blinked, surprised. No wonder he had been so loathe to leave them alone to guard the medicine cats. “I'm surprised he went to stand watch at all, then,” she murmured.

     Specklefoot was quiet for a moment. “Maybe there's some hope for trust btween the Clans after all,” she said after a moment's thought.

     Silentstorm didn't reply. She turned back towards the sleeping medicine cats, listening to their slow breathing. Jayfeather was just in front of her, with Willowshine a few tail-lengths away on one side, and Kestrelflight closer on the other. Icefur was settled beside her mentor, and Twigclaw lay on Willowshine's other side, his breath making the water ripple as he slept. They all sounded so still and peaceful. Silenstorm wondered what kind of dreams they were having. Did they promise better times for the Clans, peace, safety from Breeze? Safety from Shade?

     For a moment, she felt the presences of starry pelts against her own, and a feeling of comfort and security she hadn't felt in moons. Then, a horribly familiar voice whispered in her mind. “ _Don't get too comfortable, Silent One. The Moonpool is not safe from me, and neither is your precious StarClan._ ”

     Silentstorm froze. _Shade!_ The dark creature had followed her even here, to the most sacred place in all of Clan territory. For a moment, despair threatened to consume the she-cat. What hope was there for any cat if StarClan had no power against Shade?

     Then, a warm pelt brushed against Silentstorm, and a soft, oddly familiar voice murmured against her ear. “ _Don't be afraid, Silentstorm. StarClan has not abandoned you. We will walk beside you, always._ ” Before she could question the voice, the pelt's warmth faded, and the voice fell silent.

     Silentstorm felt a sense of peace wash over her. Shade was still out there, and still a danger to her Clan. But she knew now that StarClan walked beside her, and that she was not alone in this fight.

**SCENEBREAK**

     There was no sign of Breeze or his rogues, even as the night drew on and non. Silentstorm stayed on her guard, crouching protectively by the sleeping cats, but the night was eerily silent. As relieved as she was that they didn't have to fight to protect the medicine cats, she felt more and more uneasy. If all was peaceful here, then what was happening to the cats they left behind?

     When the medicine cats finally woke, there had still been no attack, and all of the medicine cats were fairly quiet. Jafeather wouldn't say anything about what StarClan had told him. When Silentstorm asked, all he said was, “They didn't tell me anything they haven't already said before.”

     The cats all returned to the WindClan border, saying their goodbyes to each other as each group set off for their own territory. Silentstorm's fear grew more and more by the moment. She had no idea why, but the further they made it into ThunderClan's territory, the more she felt that something awful had happened, and she hadn't been there to stop it.

     Her heart began to race as she caught a terrible smell. All three cats froze as the wind shifted, sending the putrid scent their way. “Blood,” Blazeheart whispered.

      _No, no, no..._ Silentstorm's heart seemed to stop. The terrible feeling of dread had increased tenfold. She just knew that whatever had gone wrong, whatever Breeze had done, it had finally happened. Without another word, the three cats took off into the snow, screeching towards the blood-scent. Silentstorm felt only despair as they hurtled through the woods. Whatever had happened, they were already too late.

     Silentstorm nearly tripped over a lifeless lump in the snow, scrambling back from it as the other two caught up to her. It was a cat, she realized after prodding it with one paw. A dead cat, pelt cold and lifeless, and stained through with blood.

     Horrified, she lowered her muzzle, taking in the cat's scent. She drew in a sharp breath, horror seizing her.

     “Foxleap!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jayie gets out an EOTW chapter in a timely manner? The hecks you say!
> 
> So yeah, here's the newest chapter of EOTW, completed in four days rather than a month this time, and extra-long as well. Sorry once again for the delays with the last few chapters, and hopefully I can make more regular updates for this in the future.
> 
> Here, we finally have the half moon, and we discover what Breeze's punishment is. Sorry if there's any Foxleap fans here. I do love him, but... yeah, sorry. At least I kept him around longer than the Erins did, and he got a mate and kits.
> 
> For those wondering, Foxleap was led to StarClan by his sister Icecloud, and his daughter Petalkit, who Icecloud has been looking after in StarClan.


	15. Chapter Thirteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The patrol discovers Foxleap's body.

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 3: Waning Moon  
Chapter Thirteen

      _“Foxleap!”_

     The moment his sister cried out the name, Blazeheart recognized the rusty-brown pelt of his Clanmate, and the thick, plummy tail, torn and mangled as the rest of him. His heart seemed to freeze in his chest. “Oh, no...” he murmured. The warrior was fairly young, and always with a cheerful mew and a friendly greeting for his Clanmates. He couldn't be dead.

     Foxleap lay motionless on the snow, his legs splayed, claws still unsheathed. His pelt was covered in gashes and blood, his throat torn clean open. The tom's amber eyes were glazed over, his features frozen in a final snarl.

     Blazeheart reached down his muzzle, nudging Foxleap's flank. His russet fur was cold to the touch, and stank of rogue. “Blazeheart, he's gone.” Jayfeather had come to stand beside Blazeheart, gently pulling him away from Foxleap's body with one paw. The small gray tom had a somber expression, a sad gleam to his blind eyes, as he mewed, “He is with StarClan now.”

     “Oh StarClan,” Silentstorm murmured. Blazeheart's sister looked horrified, her gray eyes wide as she stood before her slain denmate. “How did this happen?” She lifted her head, protesting to the toms, “It's not long until dawn! What in the name of StarClan was he doing out here, and why is he alone?”

     Icy claws gripped Blazeheart's chest, dread nearly overwhelming him. “The camp,” he realized aloud. The horrified gazes of his Clanmates told him they had come to the same conclusion.

     “They're in danger!” Snow flew up as the three cats took off for the camp. Blazeheart hated to leave Foxleap's body behind like that, but he knew they had no choice. They had to protect their living Clanmates before they could bury their dead with honor.

     Blazeheart barely had time to notice that there was no guard when they reached the camp. They tore through the bramble entrance, screeching into camp, only to halt at the sight that awaited them.

     There were no bodies, no torn fur or blood, or any signs of the battle Blazeheart feared had happened. A few cats were gathered by the High Ledge, looking completely unharmed, and fairly alarmed at the three breathless cats having burst into cats.

     Bramblestar stood by the base of the High Ledge, Rosepetal, Bumblestripe, and Hazeltail in front of him, Squirrelflight standing by his side. The leader was looking at the returning cats with alarm, then fear. “What's going on?” he rumbled, a clear tinge of fear in his tone. “What's the matter?”

     All three cats had to fight to catch their breath after their panicked race to camp. It was Blazeheart who managed to speak first. “Was... was Breeze here? Is anyone hurt?”

     “No, we haven't seen a single rogue all night,” Rosepetal informed them. “But Foxleap's gone missing. We were on guard duty together, and he heard something and went to investigate. I haven't seen him in a while.”

     “We were just about to send a search party to find him,” Bumblestripe added.

     Blazeheart stared desperately at his former mentor. _They don't know,_ he realized, horrified. _Oh StarClan..._ His gaze slipped over to Hazeltail, his heart aching in his chest. Hazeltail and Finchpaw didn't know they had lost Foxleap yet. He couldn't begin to imagine what they would feel when they learned the truth.

     “We already found him,” Silentstorm rasped. Dull horror shone in the she-cat's eyes.

     Her tone seemed to tip off her Clanmates. Bramblestar's gaze darkened with worry, while Bumblestripe and Rosepetal exchanged concerned glances. But it was Hazeltail's expression that worried Blazeheart the most. Her green eyes were wide, something vulnerable in her expression. “Where?” she breathed.

     Silentstorm hesitated, her pelt bristling uncomfortably. Blazeheart didn't have the heart to answer for her. It was finally Jayfeather who spoke. “He's dead.”

     There was a brief silence as five faces stared at them in shock. Hazeltail had gone completely still, her features frozen in an expression of horror, green eyes wide as moons.

      After a moment, Bramblestar seemed to come out of his shock. "How?" he asked, grim resignation in his tone.

      "Rogues," Silentstorm growled. "We smelled rogue on his body. They must have lured him away and killed him where the Clan couldn't hear."

     Rage flared in the leader's eyes. Rosepetal gaped at Silentstorm, her tail trembling. "Oh StarClan," she breathed. "This is my fault. I should never have let him go off on his own." Hazeltail said nothing, still frozen in horror.

     Bramblestar flicked his tail-tip against the cream warrior's flank. "It wasn't your fault, Rosepetal," the leader rumbled. "Foxleap was doing his job to protect our Clan. If you'd gone with him, you would've left our camp unguarded."

     While her mate comforted Rosepetal, Squirrelflight drew herself up, taking on a brisk tone. "Bumblestripe, Rosepetal, stay and guard the camp," she ordered. "If you hear or see anything suspicious, stay where you are, and raise an alarm if there's any attack. We can't afford to lose more of our cats."

     The two warriors nodded. They padded off towards the camp's entrance, leaving Bramblestar to address his warriors. "Jayfeather, wake the Clan," he mewed grimly. "Prepare them for Foxleap's vigil. We will sit with him the rest of the night, and bury him after dawn." When Jayfeather nodded, Bramblestar turned to the rest of the warriors. "Now, take us to Foxleap," he ordered Silentstorm and Blazeheart.

     The siblings dipped their heads to the massive tabby. With a heavy heart, he turned back towards the camp's entrance, all of his Clanmates following as slipped past the brambles into the forest, flicking his tail towards Rosepetal and Bumblestripe as they passed them.

      Blazeheart and Silentstorm led the patrol, trudging a path through the snow for their Clanmates to follow, and they followed the grim path back to their dead denmate. Bramblestar stayed to the rear, his gaze sharp as he looked out into the forest, making sure they weren't followed. Hazeltail and Squirrelflight walked between their Clanmates, padding side-by-side. The gray-and-white she-cat kept her head down; Blazeheart couldn't tell whether she was still in shock.

     Finally, they reached Foxleap's body. The russet tom was right where they had left him, surrounded by scarlet-stained snow. Blazeheart lowered his head, unable to look at his blood-soaked denmate any longer. Bramblestar approached the body, a quietly mournful set to his features. "This didn't have to happen," he murmured. "It didn't have to come to this."

     Blazeheart snuck a look at Foxleap's mate. Hazeltail no longer looked like a stunned mouse. Her expression had hardened into stone, her green eyes expressionless as she looked at her slain mate. Blazeheart recognized the look; she had been just as closed-off and had the same steely glint to her eyes when Petalkit died. But he still remembered her breaking down when Daisy comforted her, and he knew it was a facade to hide her hurt.

      The gray-and-white warrior strode up to her mate's body, touching her nose to his cheek. Blazeheart was close enough to hear her murmur, "Goodbye, my love." He knew he was not imagining the crack in her tone, or the sudden softness in her eyes. "Look after Petalkit, and tell her I love her."

      It was a few moments before any cat spoke. Finally, Squirrelflight rasped, "We need to take him back."

     Bramblestar murmured something to Silentstorm, who nodded. Together, the two large cats crouched by Foxleap, wriggling him into position draped across them. The fluffy tom's front end was settled over Silentstorm's shoulders, while his haunches were draped over Bramblestar. The two cats stood, supporting the dead cat between them. Blazeheart had known his sister was large, but looking at her and his massive leader, he realized with a shock that she was only a few hairs shorter than Bramblestar.

      Foxleap's tail was still dropping, reaching down by Bramblestar's paws. Blazeheart started towards him, but Hazeltail cut him off, taking her mate's plummy tail gently in her jaws and holding it off the ground. The young tom backed off, dipping his head respectfully to the senior warrior.

     Once Foxleap's body was secure, the patrol set off once again. Squirrelflight took the lead this time, while Blazeheart took up the rear, keeping watch for anyone following. He wondered whether the rogues who had slain Foxleap were still nearby. But instead of fear, all he felt was hatred. These cats had lured away a loyal warrior and slain him in the dark like prey. The young tabby wanted nothing more than to feel their fur tear under his claws.

     When they reached the camp, Jayfeather was standing by the base of the High Ledge, the entire Clan surrounding him. By their stunned expressions, Jayfeather had already told them.

     The patrol made their way to the center of camp. Bramblestar and Silentstorm lowered Foxleap to the ground, arranging the tom so his paws were tucked neatly under him and his eyes were closed.

     As they stepped back, a wall rose from the crowd of watching cats. Finchpaw burst from the crowd, his entire body bristling with horror. "No!" His golden eyes were blazing with terrible grief, his whole pelt trembling. The apprentice tried to race to his father's side, but Hazeltail blocked him, murmuring something that Blazeheart couldn't hear.

     Finchpaw struggled against his mother for a few more moments, before the fight died from his eyes, and he sagged against Hazeltail's side. Hazeltail ran her tongue soothingly over her son's head, then led him to his father's side. Finchpaw crouched beside Foxleap's body, burying his head in his father's pelt, trembling from nose to tail.

     Birchfall and Spiderleg shouldered their way past the crowd, looking down at their brother with horror in their amber eyes. Together, the brothers joined Finchpaw, laying beside their brother and touching their noses to his fur. Squirrelflight and Sorreltail came to the body, grief in their eyes. Blazeheart had almost forgotten that Squirrelflight had once been Foxleap's mentor. He couldn't imagine what it was like to have trained a cat, and been that close with them, only for them to die so young. All that potential, wasted.

     Blazeheart watched mournfully as Foxleap's friends and family came to share tongues with him one last time, and to wish his spirits safe travels to Silverpelt. The whole scene was reminding him far too much of Dewpaw and Petalkit's vigil. Grief was heavy in his heart, and frustration. They had known Breeze's warning was coming, they had prepared for it in every way possible, and it still hasn't been enough to save them. The rogues had been able to lure a cat from their camp and murder him. Was there anywhere left safe for his Clanmates?

      His anger and grief were twisting in his gut, until he felt ready to burst with it. He needed to brush pelts with some cat, assure himself that there were still cats he could protect, and friends he could rely on. To his surprise, however, it wasn't Snowfall he yearned to speak with. He could see his white-pelted now, crouching beside Finchpaw and murmuring words of comfort to his apprentice. No, it was Ambertalon who came first to the tabby's mind.

     Blazeheart could see the tiny gray she-cat, sitting with Brightheart and Cloudtail, a look of steely anger in her eyes. He rose to his paws, padding over to her. "Hey," he mewed softly.

      Ambertalon looked up as he approached. Her amber gaze softened, though anger still lingered. "Hey," she mewed back as he sat. "Too much to hope that you found the rogues who did this and left their entrails in the snow?"

     "No such luck," Blazeheart mewed darkly.

     The gray she-cat snorted. "Too bad. The next rogue I see, he's getting left on the border like a torn-up piece of prey. We'll let them be the scared ones this time."

      Blazeheart gave a weary purr. Ambertalon's violent declarations in the face of this tragedy were oddly comforting. He pressed his muzzle to her cheek, mewing, "That's a promise." Ambertalon leaned into the touch, purring.

     Brightheart had gone to join Snowfall and Finchpaw by Foxleap's body, but Cloudtail remained by Ambertalon and Blazeheart. Even through the elderly tom's grief, Cloudtail was gazing at his daughter and Blazeheart, something almost like amusement in his blue eyes.

      Before Blazeheart had time to question the look, it was gone, and Cloudtail was looking back at the cats mourning Foxleap. "Poor Finchpaw," the old tom rasped. "He's only just begun to heal from losing Petalkit, and now he's lost his father."

      Blazeheart nodded, hit by a rush of sympathy as he gazed at the young golden tabby. Finchpaw was still crouched beside his father, though his trembling had gone down. Snowfall was beside his apprentice, pressed comfortingly against the younger tom, while Brightheart was hovering nearby, mewing something to Finchpaw that Blazeheart couldn't hear. Hazeltail was on Finchpaw's other side, pelt-to-pelt with her son while she grieved for her mate in silence. Birchfall and Spiderleg were on the other side of Foxleap, crouched beside their brother, heads bowed together as they mourned.

      "It will be a hard blow for him," Blazeheart agreed in a low murmur. "I hope he can get through it."

      To his surprise, Cloudtail countered easily, "Oh, he can." He settled again on the snow, curling his tail around his paws. Blazeheart had to imagine the snow and cold weren't great for the elder's aching joints. "Finchpaw is stronger than you'd think. But he'll need help. I'll make sure he knows he can come to us if he ever needs to."

     The pale tabby blinked, surprised. He had forgotten how close the apprentice had become with Cloudtail and Brightheart after Petalkit and Dewpaw's deaths. He guessed that they had missed being there for Dewpaw, and they had wanted to give Finchpaw the care that their son could no longer receive. With how closed-off Hazeltail could be sometimes, it probably helped Finchpaw to have the sweet, comforting elders to turn to.

      His mind began to turn to darker thoughts as he looked at Foxleap's still form. "They lured him from his guard's post," he said in a low tone to Ambertalon and her father. "They must have been watching us for just the right time to strike, they must have been just outside of camp."

      Ambertalon's gaze sharpened with anger. "Those foxhearts!" she hissed. "They would rather pick off warriors in the dark than face us in open battle."

     "But how did they get so close to camp without being spotted?" Blazeheart asked. He tail began to lash in frustration. "We had guards posted. How did they know where to hide where they could be heard by Foxleap, and could ambush him, but wouldn't be seen?"

     Ambertalon shrugged, looking as confused as Blazeheart felt. It was Cloudtail who answered. "Before the Dark Battle," he began slowly, "the Dark Forest warriors and trainees visited the territories of the living Clans. They were trying to learn the best places to attack or hide in each territory. Breeze was with them; he must have taught his cats where the best place to ambush a ThunderClan guard was."

     Blazeheart felt a surge of anger. The Dark Battle had been over for moons and moons, but Breeze kept bringing it back, piece by piece. The newest casualty of that battle lay before them now. As long as Breeze was back, the Dark Battle would not be over, because he kept the hate and the threat of that danger alive. These rogues hadn't shown their faces since the Gathering, and yet the havoc they had already wrought on ThunderClan was clear. He looked out upon his grieving Clanmates, watching the vigil draw on as the sky grew lighter and lighter. The tom felt Ambertalon press against him, pressing her muzzle against his neck. He was surprised by the display of affection, and the feeling of warmth it brought him, but he didn't question it. Instead, he laid his chin on Ambertalon's head, pressing against her side.

     As the two cats sat together, Blazeheart murmured. "We have to stop them. We can't let them do this to us again."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, down from over a month, to four days, to two days. Progress!
> 
> But, just to warn you, don't expect another chapter this week. As of tonight, I am in the wonderful world of Disney, and while I might get some writing done while I'm here, my first and foremost priority is to enjoy Disney and have fun. Once I get back, writing will hopefully resume as usual.
> 
> Anyway, poor Foxleap is gone, but no one else has died, thankfully. And, we get a look at the continuing sage of "Finchpaw can't catch a break." Poor little guy. Why do I continue to torture the poor kid?
> 
> Next chapter will be in Silentstorm's POV. Also, we're at the halfway point here, people. For this book, anyway. But once this book is done, we will be at the halfway point for the series as a whole.


	16. Chapter Fourteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The vigil is over

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 3: Waning Moon  
Chapter Fourteen

     Silentstorm woke late the next morning, groggy from lack of sleep. Foxleap's vigil had last until a bit after dawn, when the elders had gone to bury Foxleap. Birchfall had helped them; together, he and Spiderleg bore their brother's body, while the others helped lay him to rest. Hazeltail had stayed behind to look after Finchpaw, who was exhausted from grief. Jayfeather had given him poppy seeds to help him sleep, but Silentstorm didn't think that was going to be the end of Finchpaw's pain.

     She stepped out of the warrior's den, stretching out her limbs, and fluffing out her thin pelt against the cold. As she adjusted to the cold, her ears swiveled around to hear the activity in camp. The morning's patrols were already gone; she must have missed Squirrelflight handing out assignments for the morning. She hadn't meant to sleep so long; she'd have to make it up to the deputy later.

     The warrior headed for the fresh-kill pile, plucking a scrawny shrew from the pile and dragging it to her spot by the fallen birch. She could hear Lightpaw and Sparkpaw across the camp, eating by the apprentice's den, and the elders still snoring in their dens. As she began to eat, nearby pawsteps from the medicine den, and low voices, grabbed Silentstorm's attention. After scooping up her shrew in her jaws, she padded towards the voices.

     As she drew closer, she heard Blossomfall speaking, and scented Bumblestripe and Poppyfrost standing nearby. “I just got the news,” Blossomfall was telling her denmates.

     “What news?” Silentstorm asked, dropping her shrew at her paws. The other warriors looked up as she approached. “If you don't mind my asking, that is.”

     Blossomfall curled her tail, purring. “I'm expecting kits,” she said brightly. After her initial cheer, she flattened her ears, adding hastily, “I know it's not the best time to be celebrating, I don't want to seem disrespectful –”

     “No, it's good,” Silentstorm assured her, flicking her a friendly flick of her tail. “I think we could all use a little good news right now.”

     Bumblestripe pressed against his sister's side, purring, while Poppyfrost mewed, “Congratulations! Who's the father?”

     “It's Mousewhisker,” Blossomfall mewed.

     Silentstorm blinked, surprised. She hadn't ever seen the two go on many patrols, or share tongues more often, or seem any closer than any other friend. But she voiced none of those thoughts, instead asking, “Are you...?”

     “Mates?” the older she-cat guessed. “No, at least, not like that. But we're good friends, and he wanted kits as much as I do. He'll be a wonderful father.”

     The blind warrior purred, “You'll both be wonderful parents. Congratulations, Blossomfall.”

     “Are you moving into the nursery soon?” Bumblestripe asked.

     Blossomfall said, “Yes, right now, actually. Jayfeather said that I should take it easy for a bit. Since food is so scarce, and there's not enough for all the queens to eat, I shouldn't strain myself too much if I'm not getting enough to eat.”

     “I'll help you make your nest,” her brother mewed. Together, the littermates headed off towards the nursery, and Poppyfrost padded over to the fresh-kill pile, leaving Silentstorm alone.

     Silentstorm crouched over her shrew, contemplating as she ate. Her heart still ached from the loss of Foxleap. But new life would arrive soon, and Clan life had to move forward.

     Her thoughts darkened again as she remembered the rogues, and her claws slid from their sheathes. ThunderClan would have more at stake now, with young new kits to defend. The rogues couldn't be allowed to hurt them. She wouldn't let them meet Foxleap's fate.

     As the she-cat finished her meal, nearby rustling made her pause. Something was passing through the bramble entrance, and by the scent, it wasn't any of her Clanmates.

     She leapt to her paws, hackles raising, only for them to lower again as she recognized the scent of WindClan.   
Wetwhisker, Sunstrike, and Larksong were padding into camp, seeming calm as they entered an enemy camp.

      Lightpaw and Sparkpaw seemed to have noticed the WindClan cats. While Lightpaw shrank back from the unfamiliar cats, Sparkpaw leaped to his paws, bristling. "What are you doing in our camp?" he challenged in a snarl.

     "We have come to speak to Bramblestar," Sunstrike rasped. Silentstorm perked her ears with interest; grief was heavy in the WindClan warrior's tone.

     Sparkpaw continued to hiss, untrusting of the WindClanners. Rolling her eyes, Silentstorm started to approach to interrupt, but a mew from the nursery beat her to it. "What's going on here?"

     Millie stepped out of the nursery, looking sternly between the WindClan patrol and Sparkpaw. Silentstorm hadn't heard the elder leave her den; she must have woken before Silentstorm to help her daughter move into the nursery.

     Sparkpaw faced the elder, mewing stiffly, "They want to see Bramblestar."

     "Then let's take them to him," Millie said calmly. "Come on, now." Sparkpaw still glared, untrusting, at the warriors, but he didn't argue further. Instead, the apprentice flicked his tail, gesturing the WindClan cats to follow as he began leading them towards the High Ledge. Millie started to follow, but first turned briefly towards Silentstorm and Lightpaw. She murmured to the younger cats, "Go help guard the entrance."

     She dipped her head respectfully to the elder. "Yes, Millie." As the elderly she-cat headed towards the High Ledge, beginning to scale the rock face behind the WindClan cats, Silentstorm started towards the entrance with Lightpaw following.

     Berrynose and Lionblaze were sitting guard. They looked up as the newcomers pushed through the brambles. "Is Bramblestar meeting with the WindClan cats?" Lionblaze asked.

     Silentstorm nodded. "Sparkpaw and Millie took them to him," she told her father. She settled beside Lionblaze in the snow, nestled against the ferns, while Lightpaw sat near Berrynose.

     "We didn't want to leave the camp unguarded, so we let them in instead of leading them," Lionblaze explained. "We figured someone would be there to greet them."

      Berrynose snorted. "We shouldn't have let them in camp in the first place. They could be rogue spies for all we know."

     Silentstorm rolled her eyes. "They're not spies, mousebrain," she meowed. "I know those cats from Gatherings, they're WindClan warriors."

     "And how do we know they haven't left their Clans to run rogue with their old friend Breeze?" Berrynose challenged. "For all we know, they helped kill Foxleap."

     Before Silentstorm could tell off the senior warrior for being fluffbrained, Lightpaw spoke up. "Sunstrike looked like she was grieving badly," the shy tom murmured in his soft mew. "I think the rogues killed one of their Clanmates too, and that's why they've come to talk."

     "What are we supposed to do about their dead warrior?" Berrynose grumbled.

     Lightpaw faced the senior warrior, his tail twitching nervously, but his tone even. "We can work together, and make sure that none of our warriors die because we're too scared or stubborn to trust each other," he mewed quietly.

     Silentstorm blinked, impressed with the young tom's answer. Normally, Lightpaw was too shy to so much as look his Clanmates in the eye. But now he was challenging one of the Clan's most senior warriors, even though he was clearly anxious about it. He really was growing up.

     Berrynose made a small _humph_ noise, but didn't argue further with the younger tom. The Clanmates fell silent, listening to the gentle breeze playing through the trees, and keeping alert for a sign of any intruders.

     Silentstorm flinched at the sound of brambles shifting behind her, but relaxed as she recognized the scent of her leader. Bramblestar stepped out into the forest, followed by the WindClan cats, with Sparkpaw bringing up the rear.

     All four cats rose to their paws as Bramblestar spoke. "Ashstar wants a meeting of all four leaders," he rumbled. "We're to meet at Fourtrees immediately." The WindClan warriors stepped away, sitting in the snow a few fox-lengths from the ThunderClan cats.

     "Now?" Silentstorm repeated, surprised.

     "Yes. And I've agreed to go."

     Berrynose bristled in alarm. "Won't having all four leaders out of camp leave us open to attack?"

     Bramblestar faced his former apprentice calmly, explaining, "I trust my warriors to protect the Clan while I'm gone." His gaze switched over to Lionblaze as he added, "They want you to come with me, Lionblaze."

     Lionblaze's ears flicked forward with interest. "Alright," he agreed easily. Silentstorm listened to her father pad up to Bramblestar, wondering uneasily why Ashstar wanted the unbeatable warrior at the meeting.

     "You're coming too, Silentstorm," the leader continued, "and Sparkpaw." The hefty she-cat dipped her head, but privately wished the argumentative apprentice wasn't coming along as well. While the tom was tolerable in the presence of his own Clanmates, he could be downright aggressive to cats in other Clans. She didn't look forward to a peaceful meeting of leaders with the prickly tom around.

     Berrynose pointed out, "We'll need a another guard for camp."

     Before Bramblestar could reply, Lightpaw spoke up, mewing softly, "I'll help guard." His ears flattened uncomfortably as the gazes of the other cats turned to him, but his tone didn't falter. "Birchfall's taking the day to mourn with his brother, so I have the day off training. I can stand guard as long as you need."

     "Good," Bramblestar said. "Then let's go."

**SCENEBREAK**

     The WindClan warriors departed for their own territory, and the ThunderClan cats split off toward the Gathering Island. They traveled in silence, crossing through the forest and moors, until they reached the Island.

     Ashstar, Tigerstar, and Mistystar already waited by the base of the Great Tree. Beside the leaders sat their warrior escorts. Vinescar and Dawnpelt sat beside Tigerstar, while Quickhare and a she-cat Silentstorm didn't know were nestled in the ferns beside Ashstar. Robinwing stood beside Mistystar, while Eeltooth sat on her other side. He didn't call out a greeting, only giving a small nod to the ThunderClan warrior, which she returned.

     The ThunderClan cats settled in beside their leader, Lionblaze sitting on one side of the massive tom, while Silentstorm and Sparkpaw sat on the other.

     "Good, you' came," Ashstar rasped. The elderly she-cat waved her skinny tail in greeting. "Then we are all here."

     Mistystar grunted, "Yes, and none of us want to be away from our Clanmates long with Breeze on the loose. So let's get to the point." Silentstorm hadn't heard the RiverClan leader sound so bad-tempered since Shrew had been driven out, but she supposed the threat of the rogues would drive any cat to being snappish.

     Ashstar turned her head briefly towards the massive tom, but didn't retort, only mewing. "Yes. To get right to it, we need to talk about Breeze, and what we're going to do about him."

     "We?" Tigerstar repeated dubiously. "I don't remember agreeing to work together with any Clan."

     "We didn't," Bramblestar agreed, a hard edge to his tone. "You assume too much, Ashstar."

     The elderly leader lashed her tail, hissing, "Fine. Then how about this assumption? Breeze's rogues killed one of your warriors last night, didn't he?"

     The other three leaders stiffened, the warriors around them growling. "How did you know that?" Dawnpelt asked in a low, suspicious hiss.

     "Because he killed one of ours, and he promised to punish all of us, not just one Clan," Ashstar hissed impatiently. "Those fox-hearts murdered Harespring in the night, when he was sitting guard. Which of yours did he take?"

     There was a brief silence. Finally, Tigerstar admitted, "Applefur was slain when she left a patrol to chase a frog."

     "Rushtail left camp to get moss for the elder's nests, and he didn't come back,” Mistystar mewed grimly. Silentstorm's ears flew back in surprise. She hadn't known Rushtail terribly well, and he had been one of the louder scoffers of her intentions to help RiverClan, but he had been a loyal, hard-working warrior.

     Bramblestar growled, “Foxleap was lured from his guard post, and murdered by rogues.”

     Ashstar nodded slowly. “Four loyal cats murdered in one night. All because of Breeze. We have to stop him.” She turned to each leader in turn, mewing seriously, “The Clans must unite to drive him out of our territories.”

     There was a brief silence. Silentstorm strained her ears, but she couldn't catch any hints of what the other leaders were feeling. Finally, Mistystar murmured, “Ashstar, we haven't even decided how to respond to Breeze's demand.”

     Silentstorm stiffened in shock as did Ashstar. Beside the elderly leader, Quickhare blurted out, “What?”

     “Mistystar's right,” Bramblestar said quietly. “This is a very serious threat we are facing here. We have to consider how we will face this very carefully.”

     Ashstar stared between Mistystar and Bramblestar, bristling in shock. “You mean you're considering obeying Breeze's _ridiculous_ demand?” she hissed, outrage heavy in her mew. “Turning your back on the warrior code, spitting on everything the Clans have ever fought for?”

     “No, of course not,” Mistystar growled impatiently. “But you've seen how many cats follow Breeze. They are a force that could send all four Clans to StarClan with little effort. They already murdered four cats without being seen, in our own territories.”

     “So you would turn your back on the warrior code you swore to protect,” Ashstar demanded.

     Mistystar shook her head. “I'm not suggesting we become rogues and kittypets and leave the warrior code behind. But there are other lands where the Clans can live in peace away from Breeze and his vendetta. We can take our Clans, and our values, and find somewhere we can live peacefully.”

     Ashstar's tone was fierce with anger. “I can't believe you would consider running with your tail between your legs. You're a leader, Mistystar. You took the same vows I did, to protect your Clan, and the warrior code, in the face of any danger, no matter the cost.”

     “I _am_ protecting my Clan, Ashstar,” Mistystar snapped. “Don't presume to know what is best for my Clan.” 

     In a low voice, Bramblestar agreed, “Sometimes, the noble thing to do is to avoid a fight. And now, with what happened to Foxleap, I don't know if I can protect my Clan when we can be hunted down like prey in our own territory.”

     A rusty growl rattled in Ashstar's throat, her pelt bristling. "WindClan was driven from our home twice before," she snarled. " _Never again._ I will not let my own kin drive us from the land that StarClan led us to."

     Lionblaze lashed his tail impatiently, mewing, "Your pride shouldn't come before the safety of your Clan."

     Before Ashstar could retort, the WindClan she-cat beside her snapped out, "Maybe _ThunderClan_ likes to run at the first sign of conflict, but our leader knows how to fight for what belongs to us." There was a surprising viciousness to the she-cat's tone. Lionblaze's ears flew back, pelt bristling, but he didn't respond to the she-cat. Silentstorm was surprised by how tense her father seemed to be, after the she-cat had snapped at him.

     She leaned towards Eeltooth, murmuring, "Who is that she-cat?"

     "That's Heathertail," Eeltooth whispered back. "Darkbreeze's mother."

     Silentstorm's ears flicked forward with interest. She had never met the mother of her best friend before, Heathertail did seem to carry a similar scent to her daughters. But the fierce bite in her new was unlike anything she had heard from either Darkbreeze or Nightfern. Silentstorm wondered how two such sweet, out she-cats could have come from such fierce, unfriendly parents.

     "Lionblaze is right," Tigerstar said quietly. "We cannot put our pride for the warrior code above the safety of the cats in our care." He hesitated, sweeping his tail behind him. "I've been thinking, with everything that's happened... maybe Breeze is right."

     Every cat in the clearing turned to look at him in shock. Even Vinescar, his own warrior, gaped at the massive tabby. "What?" the huge tom meowed.

     Tigerstar seemed uncomfortable, his pelt bristling and tail twitching in an anxious manner, but he didn't back down. He explained, "Half of my warriors once lived as kittypets and loners. Knowing so many cats who haven't always lived by the warrior code has realiy given me a new perspective. Living by the warrior code isn't the only noble or honest way to live your life, or the only worthwhile one."

     "But the warrior code is sacred to the Clans!" Ashstar hissed. "It guides our lives, it's the center of our every decision. The Clans would be nothing without it!"

     "Pretty soon there might not _be_ Clans anymore," Tigerstar hissed impatiently. "You may know the warrior code and the needs of your Clan, Ashstar, but I know Breeze. If we don't give him what he wants, he'll rain war and destruction down on our heads. It doesn't matter where we go or how far we run. He won't give up until every last Clan cat is dead." The tom drew his chin up, growling, "I would rather see my Clan divided and alive, without a warrior code to live by, than dead for the sake of a Clan that no longer exists."

     Sparkpaw hissed, “So you would let the way of the Clans die because you're scared to face a fight?”

     Tigerstar bristled, saying, “I am afraid of ever cat in my care dying, because I ordered them to die to defend a code that will die with them. Tell me, young cat – is the warrior code really worth dying for, if there is no one left to follow it?”

     Silentstorm was at a loss, bristling in shock after hearing Tigerstar speak. Before, it had only been Daisy suggesting they give up the warrior code. But now, a Clan leader was saying he honestly thought it was their best option. For the first time, her faith wavered. Was he possibly right? Was it better to give up the code she had sworn herself to, so her family could survive.

     To Silentstorm's surprise, it was Vinescar who challenged Tigerstar. “That isn't your decision to make, Tigerstar,” the massive tom rumbled. There was a certain dignity to the former rogue's voice, and a reproachful tinge to it as he regarded his new leader.

     Tigerstar turned to his warrior, seeming surprised. “I am just trying to determine what's best for my Clan,” he tried to explain.

     Vinescar shook his head, meowing, “But you don't get to decide that. You are a good leader, Tigerstar, but each cat can only decide for themselves where they belong.”

     “I thought you would understand,” Tigerstar said. “You lived as a rogue once. You know the warrior code isn't the only way to live.”

     The former rogue tipped his head, considering. “It's true,” he said. “I have only just found the warrior code. I have know rogues and kittypets and loners, and I have lived among them all for moons. There are many honorable ways to live that don't live by the warrior code. But if a cat wants to live by the warrior code, and wants to live in a Clan, and fight and die side by side with their Clanmates, that is worth fighting for.”

     He faced his leader calmly, telling him, “I met Breeze, once, as a rogue. He tried to recruit me into his army of rogues. I didn't yet realize he was planning to destroy the Clans, but I could tell he only wanted to hurt others, so I refused.” Vinescar lashed his tail, growling. “Breeze is a bully. He uses power to control and hurt others, to tell them how they are allowed to live their lives. That is not what a leader is supposed to be. And that is not what you are meant to be, Tigerstar. Let your Clanmates choose for themselves. As long as there is one cat left who follows the warrior code, then it is worth fighting for.”

     Tigerstar regarded his warrior for several moments, his tail swishing back and forth curiously. Finally, he mewed, “I want nothing more than to see my Clanmates safe,” he murmured. “But I think you're right. I can't choose my Clanmate's fates for them. If they truly believe in the warrior code that much, I can't order them to give it up. I will let them choose what they will fight for.”

     “But they don't have to fight alone,” Ashstar mewed gently. She seemed more somber now, imploring the other leaders. “If we combine our strength and fight together, we can drive these rogues from the lake forever. We fought as one before, we can do it again.”

     Before any of the leaders could respond, Sparkpaw spoke up. “But how do we know we can trust you?” The apprentice's tone was not as aggressive as Silentstorm usually heard when he was talking to enemy warriors, but there was a certain reproach to his tone, almost like he was addressing Ashstar as an untrusted equal, rather than a leader deserving his respect. “After all, you are kin with Breeze. How do we know you haven't allied with him, and aren't leading us into some trap of his?”

     Silentstorm heard a sharp intake of breath from Lionblaze, and a disproving growl from Bramblestar. But the leader didn't challenge Sparkpaw's question. Silentstorm turned a glare on Sparkpaw, lashing her tail. He had taken it a step too far.

     Ashstar, however, didn't seem to think so. She faced Sparkpaw calmly, finally mewing, “I can't prove anything. I can only promise that I would rather die than see any cat, especially my own kin, tear the warrior code to shreds.” Sparkpaw regarded the she-cat for a few moments, then flicked his tail, seemingly in acceptance. He didn't seem to trust Ashstar entirely, but he was willing to accept her answer. Silentstorm was surprised at how mature the young tom was being, even if she didn't agree with his views.

     Bramblestar lifted his head, sniffing the air. “We have been here too long,” he rumbled. “Our Clans will need us back.”

     “But we haven't decided anything,” Mistystar argued.

     “And I don't believe we will today,” Bramblestar replied. “I'm not sure I'm ready to pledge my Clan to every other Clan yet, and I don't believe you or Tigerstar are either.” The silence from both cats was answer enough. “We must return to our Clans.”

     Ashstar demanded, “But what will we do about Breeze?”

     “We can decide that another day. For now, let us send another messenger if our Clans come to a decision, or if we want to ally ourselves against Breeze,” Bramblestar suggested.

     The WindClan leader looked desperately between the other leaders. She finally seemed to realize that she wasn't going to get an answer that day. With a sigh, she agreed, “Very well. But I want us to meet again soon, before any more cats are lost to Breeze.”

     “Agreed,” the other leaders murmured.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the sorta rushed ending there, I was having some writer's block in trying to get this wrapped up. Anyway.
> 
> So, here's the new chapter. A bit of a delay, as I was, as stated, on vacation at Disney World. Sadly, that vacation ends today, and I will be heading back to school. I will hopefully be able to get chapters out more quickly now, but I worked really hard at schoolwork and had a stellar semester grade-wise, so I'd like to do that again, and that will take away from writing time. We'll see.
> 
> Next chapter will be Blazeheart's POV. Hopefully that will be out soon.
> 
> And yay, new Blossom/Mouse kitties! :D


	17. Chapter Fifteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Clan recovers from Foxleap's death

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 3: Waning Moon  
Chapter Fifteen

     A weary ache had settled over Blazeheart's entire body. Three days had passed since the half moon, and Foxleap's death. Ever since then, the Clan had been doubling it's efforts to make the camp prepared for battle.

     “You'd think there would only be so many times we'd need to reinforce these dens,” Blazeheart grumbled to Seedlight. The ginger she-cat grunted in agreement. She was crouched below Blazeheart, holding the base of a large branch steady while Blazeheart, settled back on his haunches, used his front paws to weave the branch into the wall of the elder's den.

     A few paces away, Molefoot rumbled, “That's the price of living in a forest.” Even after a full day's work, and the grim atmosphere after Foxleap's death, the cream-and-brown tom's gaze managed to hold a gleam of amusement. “Branches fall, the wind makes things shift, and no den is invincible.” The older warrior looked over the hazel bush that served as the elder's den, adding, “The snow makes things harder. When it collects on top of a den, it weighs down on the den, adding stress to the brambles and branches.”

     “When _isn't_ snow making things harder?” Seedlight grumbled around the branch in her jaws. Privately, Blazeheart agreed. As pretty as the snow was, draped across the surfaces of the surfaces, it only seemed to make Clan life harder at every turn.

     That hadn't seemed to occur to the Clan's youngest members. Sunnykit, Shadowkit, and Ripplekit were tumbling together in the snow a few foxlengths away, snarling in play. Redkit and Skykit watched from the sidelines, apparently judging whatever contest the livelier kits had thought up. Blazeheart was surprised to see the aimless flailing of the young kits had become carefully timed attacks with more strength behind their blows. Ripplekit tripped Sunnykit with a swift blow to her shoulder, while Shadowkit grabbed Ripplekit's striped tail between his teeth, yanking the smaller tom off balance. They had grown too – Shadowkit stood nearly at Blazeheart's shoulder. It wouldn't be long now until both litters were apprenticed.

     Blazeheart called out to the kits, “Why don't you see if Squirrelflight has something she wants you to do? We could use some help around camp.”

     All five kits looked up from their game, ears perked towards the warrior. “She's busy,” Sunnykit told Blazeheart. “She just told us to stay out of the way.”

     Redkit's tail shot up as she realized, “Maybe we can help with the nursery. It's been getting too crowded, and now that Blossomfall's moved in, we could help make it nice and roomy for her and her kits!”

     “Yeah!” With a cheerful cry, the kits scampered towards the nursery.

     “Make sure a warrior helps you!” Blazeheart called after them. As mature as the kits were becoming, he didn't trust that they could successfully put together a working den wall without a warrior's guidance. Sunnykit acknowledged his order with a flick of her striped tail, and the kits circled around the other side of the nursery, disappearing from sight.

     Blazeheart shook his head, purring fondly. “They'll be good warriors one day,” he commented to Seedlight. The pale tabby grunted in agreement, teeth still closed around the branch. With a final twist, Blazeheart managed to work the branch successfully into the thickly-woven wall of the hazel den. When Seedlight released her grip, the den no longer swayed under the weight of the snow.

     “Good work,” Molefoot praised. He looked the den up and down, declaring, “This should be fine. I'll tell Brightheart that if they have any more problems with it, we can take another look.”

     Seedlight sat up, spitting out bark. “So we're done?” the young warrior asked hopefully.

     “Yes,” Molefoot mewed. Seedlight gave a quick nod, then scurried off, heading towards Lilyfrost by the freshkill pile. Before Blazeheart could escape as well, Molefoot glanced over at him, adding, “I almost forgot. Ambertalon asked if you could help her sort out the apprentice's den.”

     Blazeheart dipped his head. “Yes, Molefoot.” His disappointment that he wasn't done for the day was tempered by delight to learn that he would be working with Ambertalon.

     He turned and padded off, taking the familiar path across camp to the crevice carved into the stone wall of camp. As he passed through the entrance to the stone den, he somehow felt smaller, almost as though he were an apprentice again.

     Ambertalon was already inside when he arrived. Two amber eyes blinked at him from the dim light of the den, the small she-cat looking up from the moss nest she had been prodding. “I was wondering when you'd show up,” she purred. The she-cat was the only cat in the den; the other apprentices must have been elsewhere.

     “I didn't know you were waiting for me,” Blazeheart replied. With a purr, he crossed the den to the she-cat, giving an affectionate lick to her cheek. Immediately, he withdrew in surprise. He hadn't meant to be so forward. The tom's ears flattened in embarrassment, hoping he hadn't seemed too awkward.

     Luckily, Ambertalon didn't seem to mind. A fierce purr rumbling in her throat, and she bumped her muzzle against his chin in a friendly greeting. “Ah, nevermind. You're here now.” While Blazeheart was still trying to figure out why he'd done something so mousebrained, Ambertalon stepped back, turning back to look at the den. “So, I've already replaced most of the moss, though I haven't gotten to Finchpaw's nest yet.”

     “Yeah, where is Finchpaw anyway?” Blazeheart asked. “I thought the apprentices would have been back from training by now.”

     Ambertalon explained, “Birchfall and your mother took Lightpaw and Sparkpaw for a warrior assessment.”

     Blazeheart's ears flicked better in interest. “That's early,” he commented. “It's still a moon until they're old enough to be warriors, right?”

     “Something like that. But their mentors seem to think they're ready for the assessment,” Ambertalon said. “I think it's just an early assessment.” She flicked her tail, adding, “But anyway, Snowfall decided to take Finchpaw to help with the assessment. He thought it might cheer him up a bit to help with a real warrior assessment.”

     Blazeheart nodded slowly. His friend was probably right; Finchpaw had been hit hard by Foxleap's death. The young tom had spent most of the last four days moping around in camp, either sleeping or helping repair dens, barely speaking or looking any cat in the eye. Snowfall had been sympathetic, of course, but Blazeheart had a feeling that the best thing for Finchpaw was to get out of camp, get some fresh air, and get back into the routine of training and learning to be a warrior. Maybe the chance to help with a warrior assessment would manage to cheer the apprentice up, even for a little while.

     Aloud, he mewed, “That's good. Maybe we could do something special for Finchpaw, like soften his nest with some downy feathers, or something.”

     “Great idea,” Ambertalon purred. “I think I saw a chaffinch on the fresh-kill pile. Sparkpaw was eyeing it, but I don't think he'll mind just giving us the feathers.” She turned her attention towards the den's entrance, added, “Lilyfrost and I were working earlier to weave branches to make the entrance tighter. It's getting along nicely, but it's still not tight enough. I want to have to push to get in, so any invaders might think twice about trying to barge in.”

     Blazeheart's whiskers twitched. “If we're going based on whether _you_ can fit, I think you'll be the only cat in the Clan who can fit in here,” he teased. The tom flicked his tail-tip against her shoulder, which only came up to his chest.

     She puffed out her pelt, giving a low, mocking growl. “Are you calling me short?” she demanded.

     “No... I guess you're right,” Blazeheart mewed, feigning a thoughtful expression. “You wouldn't be the only one who could fit.” His whiskers twitched. “The kits might be able to squeeze in.”

     He never saw coming the moss ball that hurtled straight into his head. Blazeheart recoiled in surprise, scraping moss from his pelt, as Ambertalon turned back to the nests, having hardly mussed a hair. “And I had them all organized too,” she muttered, scooping the nests back into shape with one paw.

     Blazeheart couldn't suppress a _mrowrr_ of laughter. “Mousebrain,” he teased lightly, shaking the last of the moss out of his fur. “Come on, let's get to work. After we put the nests back together, you can ask Sparkpaw for the feathers while I get more brambles and branches for the entrance.”

     “Sounds good.” The two cats set to work, scraping the moss together into three nests. As they worked, Blazeheart couldn't help but feel a brush of sadness. Less than a moon ago, this den had been his home. But now his nest was gone, and so was Silentstorm's. Even their scents were starting to become stale. Soon, there would be no trace that they had ever stayed in this den at all.

     Ambertalon seemed to sense what he was thinking. “It's weird coming back, isn't it?” she mewed sympathetically. “You want more than anything to be a warrior, and you wouldn't give up your name and rank for the world, but sometimes it's hard growing up and moving on.”

     “Yeah.” Blazeheart glanced over at where his nest had once been, wondering whether who the next apprentice to sleep in that spot would be. “We had some good times, though, didn't we? Like that time you were annoyed at Snowfall, and you put ants in his nest?”

     The tiny she-cat gave a sharp _mrowrr_ of laughter. “And you found out, but you thought it was funny, so you didn't tell him.”

     “He was wriggling all night,” Blazeheart laughed. “It took him half a moon to figure out you were the one who'd done it. He'd thought it was Dewpaw.”

     Ambertalon shrugged. “Eh, he tripped me into a mud patch after he found out anyway, so we were even.”

     Blazeheart's whiskers twitched in laughter. His heart felt lighter than it had in the days since Foxleap's death. But as his thoughts turned to Foxleap, his good mood faded, the grief setting back in. “Things were simpler when we were in training,” he murmured quietly.

     A fierce anger blazed in Ambertalon's eyes for a moment. The full fury of the fierce she-cat showed in the blaze of her eyes and the bristle of her pelt. Then, her gaze softened, anger replaced by sympathy and grief. “I know,” she mewed softly. She touched her nose briefly to Blazeheart's cheek, the tom stiffening in surprise. “We'll make them pay for it. Foxleap didn't die in vain.” Before Blazeheart could respond, she pulled away, and returned to her work.

     The two warriors had finished putting together the nests as they spoke, scooping the last of the moss together. As Ambertalon worked to put the last strands of moss together, Blazeheart paused in his work, watching her for a moment. Why _hadn't_ he warned Snowfall about the ants, all those moons ago? Sure, he liked to prank his best friend every now and then, but back then he had been much closer to the white tom than to Ambertalon. So why had he taken her side? Why had he licked her cheek in greeting, and why did the thought of patrolling and hunting with her fill his chest with so much warmth?

     He remembered Snowfall and Silentstorm teasing him the other day. They had accused him of mooning over Ambertalon. Before, he had been far too embarrassed at the implication to take it seriously, but now, he had to wonder. Had they been right? Was what he felt for Ambertalon something beyond friendship?

     Ambertalon finally noticed his gaze on her. She tipped her head, amber eyes glowing with confusion. “What?” she asked. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

     “Huh? Oh, nothing.” Blazeheart shook his head to clear his thoughts. “Erm, I'll go get those branches.” He scurried away, leaving a bewildered Ambertalon behind as he exited the den.

     Embarrassment flooded his pelt as he hurried out of camp and into the forest. He had just acted like a mousebrain in front of one of his oldest friends, regardless of how he might or might not feel about her. And if he really did feel differently about her now, he had no idea what he was supposed to do about it. Did he tell her? What would she say?

     He was so distracted by his thoughts that he nearly crashed into the patrol returning to camp. “Hey!” Silentstorm scrambled out of Blazeheart's path, her blind gray eyes wide with surprise. “Watch it!”

     Blazeheart shook his head, snapping himself out of the haze of his thoughts. “Oh, mousedung,” he mewed. “Sorry about that, Silentstorm.” The rest of his sister's patrol followed after her, looking at Blazeheart in surprise. Toadstep was carrying a scrawny vole, while Ivypool and Poppyfrost carried a squirrel between them.

     Silentstorm shook herself, the startled look fading from her eyes. “It's fine, mousebrain,” she mewed easily.

     “Daydreaming, Blazeheart?” Poppyfrost asked, sounding amused. She released her grip on the squirrel, which Ivypool let fall in front of her paws. Blazeheart noticed her shift closer to Toadstep, the two warriors brushing pelts. After a few moons of mooning over each other, the two had officially become mates shortly before the Gathering.

     “Sort of,” he admitted. “Sorry about that. I'm supposed to be gathering branches to reinforce the entrance to the apprentice's den.”

     Silentstorm's ears perked. “Want me to help you out?” she asked. “Maybe I can find a mouse or something to bring to camp while we're out.” Blazeheart had noticed that she was the only cat on her patrol that wasn't carrying prey.

     “Sure,” he mewed. His sister's company would be a good distraction from his thoughts about Ambertalon.

     The black she-cat turned to her patrol, meowing, “I'll meet you back in camp later.”

     Ivypool gave a small nod, mewing, “Don't take too long. We'll send someone to check on you if you aren't back soon.” The silver tabby touched noses with her former apprentice, then padded back towards camp, the rest of the patrol following. Soon, Blazeheart was left alone with his sister.

     He flicked his tail. “Come on.” Together, the littermates set off further into the woods. They didn't stray far from camp; even in their own territory, the threat of Breeze made them cautious. A young beech with low-hanging branches rested near the edge of camp, perfect for collecting branches from. Blazeheart and Silentstorm made straight for the beech, treading cautiously even as close to camp as they were.

     Silentstorm kept watch as Blazeheart collected fallen branches around the base of the tree, half-buried by the snow. “I hate this,” the blind warrior murmured, lashing her tail in frustration. “We shouldn't have to feel like prey in our own territory.”

     “Breeze would beg to differ,” Blazeheart murmured. His claws brushed against a big, thick branch under the snow. The tom began digging, brushing the snow away so he could reach the branch.

     Rage was suddenly heavy in Silentstorm's voice. “ _Breeze!_ ” Blazeheart was so startled that he whirled around, expecting Breeze to be behind them. But it was only Silentstorm, her gray eyes burning with fury. “I could shred that fox-faced, maggot-hearted murderer! It's bad enough his cats kill loyal warriors, but the allies he makes are just...”

     “Allies?” Blazeheart repeated, puzzled.

     Silentstorm blinked, looking startled. “What? Oh, I meant his followers.” Something about the she-cat's tone seemed off, almost like she wasn't telling the full truth. Blazeheart almost asked her if she was sure of what she'd meant, but decided against it. They had just suffered the loss of a friend and Clanmate. It wasn't surprising that his sister was acting a bit different.

     “You're right,” Blazeheart mewed finally. “Before, I thought this would be open battle, like any other fight. I knew that Breeze didn't fight by the warrior code, but I didn't realize just how lawless they were.” Anger surged through the young tom. He hooked his claws in the snow, digging them deep into the ice-cold depths as he snarled, “They would rather kill a warrior when his back is turned than face him in a fair battle. All for the crime of being a warrior.”

     As Blazeheart turned back to his work of digging up the branch, he heard Silentstorm murmur behind him, “I wonder what the Clan will want to do now.”

     “About what?” Blazeheart had gotten half of the stick uncovered. He fastened his teeth around the branch, shuddering inwardly at the feeling of wet, cold bark against his tongue. With a strong yank of his head, he managed to pull the branch free from the snow. Blazeheart let the branch fall to his paws, spitting out grit and bark.

     Silentstorm's expression was grim. “About Breeze,” she explained. “About his demands.”

     Blazeheart stiffened. He had known for a while that Silentstorm had reservations about staying to fight. As much as he had tried to convince her, she seemed unsure that they could survive a war with the rogues. He turned back towards Silentstorm, a desperate edge entering his mew. “Silentstorm, we _have_ to stay,” he hissed. “We can't let him get away with this. If we leave, then Foxleap will have died for nothing. The camp he died guarding will be nothing but an empty hollow, abandoned by cats too scared to defend it.”

     “Blazeheart, I –”

     He barreled on, barely taking a moment to listen. “If we let him drive us out now, how can we ever defend any home again, when running will always be the easier option? We won't be warriors anymore!”

     “Will you let me talk!” Silentstorm snapped. “I was going to say, I agree.”

     That made Blazeheart pause. “You do?”

     “Yes.” Something dark flickered in her eyes, something Blazeheart couldn't read. “I can see now that no matter where we go, Breeze will always have the power to find us. It wouldn't matter if we ran to the edge of time itself. He won't stop until the warrior code is forgotten or every one of us is dead. We have to fight.”

     Relief settled over Blazeheart, knowing that he had his sister's support. “You're right,” he mewed softly. His relief began to fade as he added, “But what about the rest of the Clan?”

     “I don't know,” Silentstorm admitted. Blazeheart was still collecting a small pile of branches, stacking them together, as Silentstorm turned back towards him. “Foxleap's death might show them that we have no choice but to fight, or it might convince them even more that we have to flee.”

     Blazeheart knew Silentstorm was right. If the Clan thought they would be picked off in the dark like prey if they stayed, they would leave the lake. The thought made his fur stand on end. The Clans had to remain by the lake. He knew it in the depths of his heart. This was where the Clans and the warrior code belonged, and as long as one warrior was left standing, they had to protect it. If ThunderClan left the lake, everything they stood for would be lost.

     Even as hopelessness gripped at his heart, he remembered Ambertalon, and his despair lessened a little. No matter what he felt or didn't feel, he knew now that he had two she-cats who would fight beside him, and beside ThunderClan, to defend their stone hollow to the very end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long. At least it wasn't a month this time, just half a month. I was busy with school starting back up, and I was really blocked with this chapter. I'm still not totally happy with it - I'm not sure I struck the right balance between fluff and grief, and I still can't write romance-y things to save my life. But at least it's done.
> 
> Anyway, next chapter will be in Silentstorm's POV. We're getting into the second half of this one. As of current plans, only eleven chapters left, with maybe two or three bonus chapters at the end.


	18. Chapter Sixteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Silentstorm learns a surprising secret

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 3: Waning Moon  
Chapter Sixteen

     “What are they waiting for?”

     Snowfall glanced over at her, tail flicking in surprise. “What do you mean?” the tom asked.

     Silentstorm's tail lashed. Even though she was out hunting with friends, the she-cat was in a dark mood. “Breeze,” she growled. “What's he waiting for? Why doesn't he just bring a patrol and attack us already?” Her snarl was building frustration, her claws digging into the snow and ice. “He has enough cats to wipe our Clan out of the forest! Why doesn't he just do it already?”

     Her denmate didn't so much as flinch at her outburst. Wearily, he mewed, “You know as well as I do why he hasn't. He wants to see us afraid of him. As long as he controls through fear, he has the power.”

     Silentstorm gritted her teeth. She knew Snowfall was right. Breeze wanted to make the Clans squirm, always looking over their shoulders for one of his rogues. But she hated the feeling of waiting. Silentstorm needed an enemy she could feel and hear, and could sink her claws into. An enemy that she couldn't hear, that could strike at any moment, made the warrior uneasy.

     It wasn't just the living enemies that had her on edge. It had been half a moon since Silentstorm had seen Shade in her dreams. But the mist-like creature had haunted the back of her thoughts ever since she had first met her. She knew, she just _knew_ Shade was involved with the rogues. Shade had all but taunted her with it at the Moonpool.

     But if Shade was an ally of the rogues, why in StarClan hadn't they destroyed the Clans yet? Silentstorm had only met Shade once, but she had no doubt that the creature was just as powerful as she claimed. With such a powerful force at their side, what was stopping Breeze from ravaging the Clans to the ground in a single battle? In fact, with Shade as his ally, why did he need any of his living followers? She couldn't wrap her head around any of it. All she knew was that her Clan was in more danger than they had ever known before, and she was powerless to stop it.

     A gentle shuffling of paws on snow alerted Silentstorm to the approach of Seedlight. The lithe she-cat carried a scrawny vole between her jaws, her small paws making muffled sounds against the snow. Seedlight dropped the vole, mewing, “I thought I heard snarling. Is everyone okay?”

     Snowfall glanced at Silentstorm, saying carefully, “We're fine. Just a bit frustrated, I guess.”

     Seedlight sighed. “I can understand that,” she murmured. “It's been hard since the half moon.”

     Before Silentstorm could respond, more pawsteps approached. “Well, that went well,” Ambertalon growled, frustration in the lashing of her tail. Lightpaw followed silently behind her, as empty-jawed as the tiny she-cat. “Not so much as a feather. I swear those birds are just laughing at us up there.”

     “I almost had a sparrow, but it got away,” Lightpaw murmured. The shy tom had been even more quiet and dejected ever since Foxleap's death. “It probably wouldn't have fed more than a kit anyway.”

     Ambertalon nudged the tom, saying, “Hey, you did better than I did. At least you almost caught it.”

     “And as long as it could feed a kit, it's worth catching,” Silentstorm mewed encouragingly. Lightpaw didn't respond, but he did lift his head a little, seeming less dejected. Silentstorm flicked her ears around the group, mewing, “Well, at least we've caught something between the four of us.” She nodded to Seedlight's vole. “Maybe a later patrol will have better luck.”

     Snowfall sighed. “I'm afraid you're right. Squirrelflight will be expecting us back soon. We can't afford to stay out longer.”

     “Mousedung to that,” Silentstorm heard Ambertalon grumble. “I'm not going to be the one to explain to Squirrelflight why we haven't caught anything.”

     The tom flicked his tail, clearly exasperated. “I'll tell her, Ambertalon,” he told his sister. “No need to get your tail in a twist.”

     Ambertalon didn't answer, scuffing the snow with one paw in a sharp, frustrated gesture. Silentstorm knew the she-cat well enough to know she wasn't angry at her brother. It was just the frustration and anger that every cat in ThunderClan felt since Foxleap's death. Snowfall seemed to realize it too. He padded up to his sister, mewing something in a low voice and touching his nose to her ear. Ambertalon's pelt still bristling, but after a moment, she relaxed, butting her shoulder against Snowfall's in an affectionate manner.

     With a air of defeat, the patrol set off for camp. Seedlight held her vole between her teeth, leaving the rest of the warriors with empty jaws, and painfully empty bellies. Silentstorm couldn't remember the last time she'd had a full meal. The scent of Seedlight's vole was tortuously tantalizing; she had to restrain herself from pouncing on her denmate and taking it.

     Suddenly, something burst from the bushes in a flurry of leaves and fur, bolting right in front of Silentstorm's paws. The scent of squirrel flooded her nostrils, and instinct took over. Ignoring the surprised cries of her Clanmates, Silentstorm raced after the squirrel, thundering down the grassy slope after the creature.

     The squirrel managed to stay a few mouse-lengths in front of the massive warrior, chittering as it ran. Silentstorm kept on, desperate to taste squirrel blood. Pure, raw hunger was blocking out rational thought. Even as the smaller, faster squirrel increased the distance between them, Silentstorm pushed herself to tear faster and faster after it.

     Without warning, something tangled with Silentstorm's paws, yanking her legs out from under her. She was sent tumbling, snow and ice clinging to her pelt, her muzzle smacking into the icy cold. The squirrel scurried away, pawsteps growing too faint to hear.

     With a groan, Silentstorm got to her paws, snow clinging to her pelt. Her body ached from where she had slammed against the ground, her muzzle sore and ice in her jaws and nose. She sneezed, spitting out the cold taste.

     The warrior turned her ears to listen for the squirrel, but there was no trace of it left, only the scent it left behind. Silentstorm gave a low growl, flicking her tail irritably against the snow. Her prey was gone, and from the sound of it, none of her Clanmates had followed her. She had run far; she would have to find her way back to her patrol. Now they were going to be late getting back to camp, and they were still only going to have one vole between the four of them.

     Regretfully, she shook herself, ice falling from her pelt. Snow still clung to her in a few places, so she sat, beginning to groom her pelt in long, careful strokes.

     As she groomed, a faint rustle of paws on snow caught her attention. Her ears flicked towards the sound, and she paused in her grooming, listening. The sound was distant, but she thought she could hear more than one set of paws padding across the snow. The slow, soft movement of the paws sounded like a cat sneaking forward, not a warrior padding confidently though her territory.

     Instantly, Silentstorm's hackles began to raise. By the sound of it, they were trespasser, maybe even the rouges that had killed Foxleap. Anger burned in her chest. She crouched low against the snow, creeping forward with her ears turned towards the sound.

     As she drew closer, the pawsteps grew louder, and she could hear the cats speaking in low murmurs. Silentstorm crouched behind a bush, ready to spring out and surprise the trespassers. But she paused as she recognized one of the voices. “Mousedung, it's cold. Why did you bring us out here?” To her surprise, the words were said in Lionblaze's low, rumbling meow.

     Silentstorm's hackles lowered, her ears flicking forward with interest. Why was her father sneaking around in his own territory. She stayed where she was, listening as another familiar voice replied, “Because it's the best place to talk without being overheard. Now quit whining like a kit.” Jayfeather's gruff meow carried over to Silentstorm, as did Dovewing's squeak of surprise as her belly fur brushed against snow. Silentstorm was even more confused now, and concerned. Why were the Three meeting in secret? She crouched lower against the snow, ignoring the cold, numbing feeling against her pelt and listened to her Clanmates.

     The Three paused near an oak, only a few fox-lengths from where Silentstorm hid, settling near the roots. “Alright, you dragged us out here, so let's get this over with,” Lionblaze grumbled. Silentstorm imagined her father sitting with his massive shoulders hunched and tail tucked tight against him, his pelt fluffed out against the cold. “I promised Birchfall I would join his hunting patrol in a little while.”

     “And the kits wanted me to tell them a story,” Dovewing added.

     Jayfeather gave an annoyed huff. “This shouldn't take long,” he told his kin. “I brought you here so we could talk about Breeze.”

     There was a pause. Silentstorm crept a little closer, straining her ears to hear. “What about Breeze?” Lionblaze's words came in a tight growl.

     “We have to stop him,” Jayfeather growled. “We have to use our powers to keep him from destroying the Clans.”

     Dovewing seemed to hesitate before mewing, “Is that really a matter for the Three, though?”

     “You think we _shouldn't_ do anything about it?” Jayfeather challenged.

     “Of course not,” Dovewing sniffed. “We're warriors, and we'll fight beside our Clanmates in whatever battle they face. But are Breeze and his rogues really the type of threat that needs to be faced by the powers of the Three?”

     “And why can't we tell Bramblestar about this?” Lionblaze added. “It's not like our powers are a secret anymore. If our leader wants us to use them to fight Breeze's rogues, then we'll do it, but why all this sneaking around?”

     Silentstorm was too far away to listen for the usual signs of her Clanmates' emotions. But even through the ensuing silence, she could sense Jayfeather's frustration. Finally, he murmured, “Alright, listen. There's something I haven't told the Clan yet. And it does not leave this clearing. Understood?”

     The blind warrior stiffened, pelt bristling in surprise. What secret had Jayfeather been keeping from his Clanmates? A strange sort of anticipation came over the she-cat. Somehow, she felt like she was witnessing something important. Silentstorm leaned closer, desperate to catch every word.

     In a low, solemn voice, Jayfeather told his denmates, “Many moons ago, StarClan spoke to me. They told me that there is a cat among our Clan who is destined to save us from darkness.”

     Lionblaze and Dovewing both made small sounds of surprise. “Who?” Dovewing asked.

     Jayfeather hesitated. “It doesn't matter,” he meowed at last.

     “Doesn't matter?” Lionblaze repeated, amazed. “What do you mean it doesn't matter? Whoever this cat is, they could be exactly what we need to defeat Breeze and his rogues –”

     “It doesn't matter!” Jayfeather snarled, suddenly sounding angry. Silentstorm flinched in surprise, and she imagined her father did the same. While Jayfeather was often grumpy, she had never heard him this angry before. Something about it made her pelt prickle uncomfortably. Jayfeather took a moment to pause, and when he spoke again, his voice was calmer. “What matters is that this cat is a loyal warrior and has a full life ahead of them. Fulfilling this prophecy would call on them to make the gravest sacrifices. This cat doesn't deserve to have to give up everything while we still have the power to defeat Breeze on our own.”

     Silentstorm's mind was swirling with questions. Who was this young cat? What was this prophecy? And why had Jayfeather kept it hidden for all these moons? Curiosity burned through her pelt, but she knew she would be scolded if she came out into the open to ask her questions. Reluctantly, she stayed hidden, waiting for the others to respond.

     “On our own?” Dovewing repeated, sounding alarmed. “Are you saying we should attack Breeze and all of his rogues by ourselves? Jayfeather, we're powerful, but that's impossible.”

     Jayfeather snapped, “We're not just powerful. We have the power of the stars in our paws. That means more power than StarClan, and certainly more power than my traitor of a half brother.” He turned towards Lionblaze, saying, “You have the power to fight any battle without getting hurt.”

     “Yes, but I've never taken on four Clans worth of cats on my own before!” Lionblaze mewed indignantly.

     The medicine cat sniffed, “You seemed pretty confident against those mountain cats. And you were fast enough to try and fight those dogs on your own.” Lionblaze turned away, not responding. “And you don't have to defeat all of them. These cats have no warrior code to fight for; Breeze is what binds them together. Kill him, and the rogues will scatter.”

     Dovewing gave a small noise of distress, but Lionblaze murmured, “Maybe you're right.”

     “Really?” Dovewing asked doubtfully. “You're very powerful, Lionblaze, but taking on an entire forest worth of cats isn't something any cat can survive.”

     Lionblaze shrugged. “I've fought large groups of cats in the past. And if Jayfeather is right, I don't have to defeat all of them. I just have to tear through any cat in my way until I get to Breeze, finish him off, and the rest will run.”

     “Dovewing, you can use your powers to find where Breeze and his warriors make their camp,” Jayfeather continued. “I can stand by to heal any wounds Lionblaze receives, if any. We'll attack once we know the location of the camp. With any luck, Lionblaze will kill Breeze quickly, the rogues will scatter, and the Clans will be safe before the next Gathering.” Something about Jayfeather's voice seemed strained. Silentstorm felt like he was forcing himself to be overly optimistic, trying to make himself believe his own plan.

     A growl sounded from Lionblaze. “Breeze has taken too much from us. I don't care that he's our brother; I'll tear his throat out before I let him hurt our family again.” He shook himself out, growling, “I'll do it. If there's even a chance we can win this battle without risking our Clanmates, we have to try.”

     There was a sigh. “I think you're both mousebrains,” Dovewing said. “We weren't given these powers so we could fight our Clanmates' battles for them.”

     “This isn't some little border skirmish between Clan where we're using our unbeatable warrior to cow the other Clans into submission,” Jayfeather snapped. “We know not to cross that line, but this is different. Breeze is a rogue with no honor, and so is every cat that follows him. If we don't stop them, they'll kill every last Clan cat. We weren't given these powers so we could sit back on our tails and watch our Clanmates die, while we could be doing something about it.”

     Lionblaze spoke up. “What about Bramblestar? Do we tell him about this?”

     Jayfeather gave an irritated snort. He hissed, “Of course not! If I'd wanted him to know about all of this, I would have just invited him here. This is between the three of us.”

     “Bramblestar's our leader,” Dovewing argued. “We have to obey him first. Why can't we just tell him?”

     “Because he would say it was mousebrained and he'd try to keep us from doing it,” Jayfeather told her. “Me and Lionblaze are his sons, for all purposes. He worries. And besides, he doesn't understand what it's like to be part of the Three. None of our Clanmates do. We're the only three who can understand how it feels to have more power than the stars. Only we know how far our powers can go, and how to use them. This is a decision for the Three to make.”

     Dovewing sighed. “I still say you're mousebrains,” she grumbled. Then her voice hardened. “But Foxleap was my friend. He deserves justice, and we can't let our Clanmates die like he did. I'm in.”

     “Good,” Jayfeather growled. “Let's get back to camp. Our Clanmates will notice if we're not back soon. But Dovewing, start looking for Breeze's camp in your spare time. When you find it, study the layout, learn where all the dens and exits are. Most importantly, figure out where Breeze's den is, and the fastest path to it. We should be fully prepared before we launch our attack. But it has to be soon.”

     The Three murmured a few words of agreement, then set off together, the muffled pawsteps on the snow growing fainter as they padded away from Silentstorm. Soon, they were gone entirely, and Silentstorm was left alone with her thoughts.

     Silentstorm's mind was racing, thoughts tripping over each other in a frenzied rush as she tried to understand what she'd just heard. There was a secret prophecy about one of her Clanmates, one that Jayfeather had apparently been hiding for moons, and now the Three were planning to sneak out and take on Breeze by themselves. Even as the thought of her father facing so many cats on his own filled her with fear, a a strange sense of wonder came over the she-cat. Silentstorm almost felt like a kit again, listening wide-eyed to one of the elder's tales about the Three and their adventures. Only now, she was seeing it play out before her eyes. They were no longer the regular warriors she had known growing up, retired from fulfilling prophecies. They were the Three again, using their powers to defend the Clan against another great evil.

     Part of her wondered which of her Clanmates was the cat Jayfeather had been told about by StarClan. But somehow, that didn't seem to matter. Not in the face of the Three working together again. The anxious knot that had tangled all of her insides together since Breeze's return began to loosen, and all of her worries about Shade and Breeze began to fade peacefully away.

     They would have to be warned about Shade, of course. If she told them straight-up, they would guess that she had been eavesdropping, so that wouldn't do. It would be better to let Jayfeather see her thinking about it, or drop some kind of hint. Silentstorm knew it would be a challenge, but she wasn't worried. Somehow, it felt like now that the Three were on the case, everything was going to work out just fine.

     Her spirits suddenly lighter, Silentstorm rose from the freezing snow, bounding away. As she ran, a fierce, wild joy blazed through her. _Look out, Shade,_ she thought tauntingly, a gleeful snarl rumbling in her throat. _The Three are coming for you._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry again for the wait. I was pretty busy with school, and once again writer's block struck. It took me forever to finish the last few hundred words of this thing. I'm still not totally satisfied with it, but eh, it's done. And we're getting closer to the end of WM. Maybe I'll feel more motivated when I start book four; the plot is a little more exciting, I think.
> 
> Anyway, here's the new chapter. We see Jayfeather referring to the prophecy he received all the way back in the prologue of Faded Boundaries. And the Three are now back in action, to Silentstorm's relief. Side note, I always though Dovewing and Foxleap were pretty good friends after SotM, hence why she mentioned that here.
> 
> I'm too tired to think of anything else to say. Next chapter is in Blazeheart's POV. See you then.


	19. Chapter Seventeen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A blizzard causes problems for ThunderClan

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 3: Waning Moon  
Chapter Seventeen

     There was nothing to see but white. Thick sheets of snow swirling violently across the forest, hiding the trees from view, and leaving the area around the camp invisible through the thick sky full of snow. Blazeheart squinted, peering past the entrance to the warrior's den, but he could barely see two fox-lengths outside of the den.

     “Well, that settles it,” he announced, coming back to join the other warriors in the den. Nearly every cat was present, sheltering together from the storm. “None of us are going to be able to see a thing if we go out there.”

     From her nest, Silentstorm snorted. “Oh no, what a nightmare,” she mewed pointedly.

     A few amused mews rippled through the den. When the mews died down, Mousewhisker mewed, “But your brother is right.” The fluffy gray-and-white tom surveyed his Clanmates from his spot beside Hazeltail. “Even if we didn't need to see to hunt, the wind is so fierce we'd be carried off our paws. We're better off stay in the den for the day.”

     Every warrior was still in the den, sheltering from the harsh weather. Berrynose was muttering to Poppyfrost in a low voice, annoyance flashing in his eyes. Cinderheart and Lionblaze were brushing pelts, Birchfall sitting in his nest in the very center of the den, while Leafpool was towards the edge in her nest away from the other warriors. The younger warriors were coupled together near one side of the den, Lilyfrost and Seedlight both watching Blazeheart as they waited for his decision.

     Ivypool and Toadstep were close together as well, the nest next to Ivypool's vacant, since Dovewing was in the nursery. Blossomfall's nest was empty too, but Bumblestripe was still in his nest near Dovewing's, watching his former apprentice with a calm blue gaze. Rosepetal and Molefoot lay near the younger warriors, Rosepetal pressed against her thick-pelted mate to protect from the cold wind. Even with the few cats missing from being in the nursery, Blazeheart had never seen the den so crowded with every cat awake.

     There were a few worried murmurs rippling through the crowd from Mousewhisker's words. “But we need to eat,” many cats were mewing back and forth to each other. Blazeheart could feel his own hunger, sharp and raw in his belly, and he could understand his Clanmates' concerns. They might have enough to feed themselves without hunting today, but what if the storm lasted longer?

     His pelt prickled as he overheard Rosepetal murmuring to Toadstep, “At least Breeze and his rogues won't be out there today.” As much as he wanted to sink his claws into the rogue, he knew she was right. It was bad enough they couldn't go out to hunt, but at least they didn't have to worry about Breeze trying to attack in such a dangerous storm.

     “Shouldn't we ask Squirrelflight about hunting for today?” Poppyfrost asked. “If she wants us to hunt, it's our job.”

     Blazeheart heard Berrynose mutter, “Squirrelflight can claw me all she wants, I'm not freezing my pelt off out there.” He had to agree with the snobby tom. As much as the Clan needed to eat, it would be far too dangerous to try and hunt today.

     “I'll ask Squirrelflight and Bramblestar,” Leafpool mewed, rising from her nest near the far corner. Even though she had been a warrior as long as Blazeheart had been alive, she never seemed to fit in the warrior's den in his eyes. Though he had never known her as a medicine cat, he could imagine her sorting herbs and sharing dreams with StarClan far easier than he could imagine her as a warrior, even though he had seen her hunt and fight.

     “Thank you, Leafpool,” Birchfall mewed, dipping his head to the she-cat. With a final flick of her tail, Leafpool began padding away, disappearing out of the den and into the thick fog of white outside. Birchfall continued, “But we'll still need prey, and we need to check on the queens and elders, and the apprentices.” His whiskers twitched. “If our Clanmates have all been frozen in their nests while we've been in here huddling for warmth, Bramblestar will have our heads.”

     Blazeheart saw many of the older warriors shuddering and shaking their heads. He also noticed many of them glancing towards the younger warriors, and himself. With a sigh, he offered, “I'll go.”

     “Me too,” Ambertalon mewed, rising to her paws. She came to stand beside Blazeheart, her pelt brushing against his. Blazeheart tried not to look surprised or pleased by the development.

     Birchfall nodded to the young warriors. “Thank you. Check on the apprentices and the nursery, then come back with prey.”

     “We still need cats to check on the elders,” Hazeltail mewed. “And we should really send someone to check on Jayfeather. It's getting far too cold to be alone in a drafty cave.”

     Seedlight rose from her nest, Lilyfrost following soon after. “We can go,” Lilyfrost mewed.

     “Good,” Birchfall said, flicking his thin, striped tail. The rest of the warriors were beginning to settle back onto their nests, now that it was clear they weren't going to have to go into the storm. “We'll send someone after you if you don't come back soon.”

     “Thanks,” Blazeheart mewed dryly, not trying very hard to sound grateful. As he and Ambertalon turned and started for the den's entrance, he grumbled, “Sure, send the youngest warriors on the jobs you don't like. It's like we're still apprentices.”

     He hadn't mean for anyone to hear his comments, but judging by the amused purrs and irritated grumbles behind him, he had spoken too loudly. His ears flattened in embarrassment. The pale ginger tom scurried out of the den as quickly as he could, nearly forgetting the storm until he was hit was a blast of freezing wind and snow. His entire pelt seemed to freeze over, his veins and pelt like ice in a matter of moments. Ambertalon's pelt was shivering against his own as she stepped out to join him.

     “Way to put your paw in your mouth,” the she-cat joked, raising her voice above the howling wind. Blazeheart hunkered down to her level, feeling the wind hurling against him, chilling him to his bones. “You won't hear the end of that one for a while.”

     The tabby ducked his head in embarrassment. “Probably not,” he murmured. “I'm sure Berrynose will have something to say about it.” They began making their way, slowly, painfully through the cold towards the fresh-kill pile.

     She _mrowrred_ in laughter, agreeing, “Oh yeah, he probably will.” The tiny she-cat puffed out her chest, deepening her voice in an attempt to imitate the bossy cream tom. “Young cats these days, never respecting their betters.” Blazeheart's whiskers twitched. His friend's impression of her old mentor was spot on. She continued, making Berrynose's voice even more overly-snobby. “Now, in _my_ day, young cats like you _always_ respected their elders and acknowledged them as superior. Except for me, of course, because I've always been perfect.”

     Blazeheart laughed as they finally reached the fresh-kill pile. “Careful, if he hears you like that, _you're_ the one who won't hear the end of it,” he warned teasingly.

     “Tell me about it,” Ambertalon agreed. “I'm lucky he's not my mentor anymore. He'd have me cleaning dens for a moon.”

     The two warriors had to scoop pawfuls of snow away to find the buried fresh-kill pile. They finally uncovered the measly pile. Though the pickings were slim, the pile was fuller than it had been in a few days. With the dark clouds overhead, no cat had eaten much the night before, so there was still prey left over. There was a decent selection of scraggly, ice-crusted mice and squirrels littered the pile, along with a half-frozen magpie and some thrushes and wrens. Blazeheart collected a couple mice, while Ambertalon dragged the magpie off the pile, carrying the large bird with some effort.

     Unable to speak around the prey in their jaws, the warriors were silent as they made their way to the apprentice's den. They stepped inside the den, shaking the snow from their pelts. After the onslaught of white, Blazeheart's eyes had to adjust to the dim light of the apprentice's den. In the darkness, three pairs of eyes blinked at him. “Blazeheart? Ambertalon?” Lightpaw and Sparkpaw padded towards the warriors, Finchpaw following more slowly. As they approached the warriors from the dark shade of the den, Blazeheart could see that Sparkpaw was as tall as him now, with more muscle under his scruffy cream-and-white pelt. Lightpaw was a little shorter, leaner than his brother, but sturdier in form than the lithe Blazeheart. Sparkpaw sniffed the snow on the warriors' pelts, asking, “What's going on?”

     Both warriors dropped their prey at their paws. The apprentices' ears perked, their muzzles stretched out as they tasted the prey-scent in the air. “We're just making sure that you're alright in here,” Blazeheart told them. “The storm is really bad out there; the warriors think it's too dangerous to hunt for today.”

     “And it's getting cold even in the dens,” Ambertalon added. “We were sent to make sure you were alright in here.”

     Finchpaw had reached the rest of the cats. He murmured in his soft voice, “We're fine.” The youngest apprentice was taller now than Ambertalon, but still smaller than his denmates. He was becoming broader and taller in build by the day; Blazeheart had no doubt that when he was fully grown, he would be a sizable warrior. But the grief in his eyes, still so raw, worried the warrior.

     Sparkpaw told the warriors, “Yeah, the entrance has been woven so tightly that the wind doesn't get in as much.” He glanced at his denmates. “We can manage if we huddle together.”

     “Good.” Blazeheart nosed the mice towards the apprentices, who made a hasty beeline for the prey. “These are for you. They might be all you get until the snow lets up, at least until it's safe for patrols to go out and hunt, so make them last. And if the den isn't warm enough, come talk to the warriors.”

     “We will!” Lightpaw purred, his jaws already around one of the mice. “Thank you, Blazeheart, and Ambertalon!”

     Blazeheart and Ambertalon dipped their heads to the apprentices, then began back out of the den. As they were leaving, Blazeheart heard Lightpaw mew, “Come on, Finchpaw! You can tell us that story about the TigerClan warriors to pass the time.” He glanced back once to see Lightpaw giving the younger tom a friendly flick of his tail, and even the grumpy Sparkpaw nodding and giving Finchpaw an encouraging nudge with one paw. Finchpaw ducked his head shyly, but there was a gleam of pride in his eyes. Blazeheart gave a short purr at the sight. Maybe he didn't have to worry about Finchpaw too much.

     The cold assaulted them as they left the den behind. Blazeheart felt his teeth chattering together as, pelts brushing together for warmth, the two warriors made their way towards the nursery. As they walked, each drawing warmth from the other, he wondered if he was imagining her drawing just a little bit closer than normal.

     All of the queens looked up in surprise as the snow-crusted warriors pushed through the entrance to the bramble den. Blossomfall lifted her head from her new nest, Daisy and Dovewing looking up as the warriors entered, Dovewing's kits sitting nearby. To Blazeheart's surprise, Squirrelflight wasn't alone with her kits. Bramblestar was curled around his mate, Redkit and Shadowkit snuggled by his side, while Sunnykit was pressed against her foster mother's belly. Leafpool was there too, facing her leader and deputy, but she turned as the warriors entered. “Hello,” she mewed. “What brings you two here?”

     “Birchfall sent us,” Ambertalon said. “He wanted us to check on the queens and make sure they had something to eat.”

     Ripplekit and Skykit looked up from beside Dovewing, and Squirrelflight kits sniffed towards the prey the warriors had brought. “Are those for us?” Skykit asked.

     Ambertalon nudged her magpie towards the kits, mewing, “Here, you kits can share this. Your mothers can have the mice.” The kits flocked to the magpie, sniffing it and poking it's scrawny body.

     Blazeheart carried the mice to the queens, pawing over one to each queen. Blossomfall and Daisy started eating right away, Squirrelflight and Bramblestar sharing their mouse, but Dovewing was staring off into space, her golden gaze unfocused. “Dovewing?” Blazeheart asked.

     The queen stiffened, her gaze clearing. “What? Oh, thank you Blazeheart.” She gave a short shake of her head, then reached one paw out, scooping the mouse closer to her.

     “Are you alright?” Blazeheart asked, concerned. The gray queen seemed very distracted. Even now that she was eating, there was a distant glaze to her eyes.

     “Hmm? Oh, sorry.” Dovewing looked up from her mouse, explaining. “I was looking for something. But the snow outside is falling so thickly that I can't see a thing.” There was a frustrated tinge to her mew.

     Blazeheart tipped his head curiously. “What were you looking for?” he asked.

     Dovewing blinked, eyes widening. “Oh, nothing,” she mewed hastily. “Just looking for prey, in case we run out and have to send a patrol to hunt.”

     The tom tipped his head. Dovewing had sounded too hasty; something was off. But as he was opening his jaws to ask again, the nearby squealing of one of the kits distracted him. He looked up, seeing Ripplekit leaping away from Sunnykit; the little she-cat had one of the magpie's long feathers in her jaws, and it seemed she had reached out and brushed it against Ripplekit's nose, startling him. After he got over his surprise, Ripplekit flung himself gleefully at the tawny she-cat, the kits tumbling in mock battle. Blazheart hesitated, then left Dovewing, pushing the conversation out of his mind as he returned to Ambertalon and the others.

     Ambertalon was sitting by the wall of the den, watching the kits play with a fond gleam to her amber eyes. Blazeheart crossed the den to sit beside her. “Mousebrains,” she commented with a purr. “They'll use any excuse to play.”

     “We weren't any better when we were kits,” Blazeheart pointed out, whiskers twitched. Redkit and Shadowkit had drawn themselves into the play battle, and after scarfing down a few more bites of magpie, Skykit jumped in as well, dragging Redkit off of his brother. “Besides, they'll be apprentices soon.”

     She watched the kits for a moment, looking thoughtful. “It sort of makes you sad to think of them growing up and leaving their games behind,” she said after a moment. “They're so innocent.”

     Blazeheart glanced over at the gray-and-white she-cat. He had never seen her be particularly interested in kits before. But the expression she wore almost held a tinge of longing. The ginger tom's pelt warmed, ears flattening.

     Ever since he'd realized that he might have feelings for Ambertalon, he had been noticing more and more how his heart seemed to flutter every time he was near her. When she was speaking about something with passion, her amber eyes flaring, it awoke a similar passion in him that he'd never known he possessed. Blazeheart admired her strength and her ferocious loyalty, and her wit, and above all her confidence. He felt stronger and more confident by her side, and he felt an affection and warmth whenever they were together that he didn't feel for any other friend.

     Now, seeing her near the kits, a soft fondness in her expression that the fierce she-cat rarely wore, he felt a rush of new warmth. “Ambertalon...” he began to mew.

     He was interrupted by Ripplekit's cry. “Ambertalon!” The gray tabby kit raced up to Ambertalon, almost matching the tiny she-cat in height. “Can you show me that move with the spinning again?”

     Ambertalon glanced at Blazeheart for a moment, then gave a small shake of her head, turning her attention to Ripplekit. “Of course,” she purred. She approached the young tom, who was crouched low, ready for the attack. In one swift movement, Ambertalon kicked out one hind paw, scooping Ripplekit's paws out from under him. While he was down, she lifted herself onto her hind paws, twirling around to pin Ripplekit's shoulders to the ground with her front paws and deliver a series of mock nips.

     After a moment, she released her hold on Ripplekit, backing up a few paces while he scrambled to his paws. The tabby's blue eyes were wide with admiration. “How do you do that?” he asked.

     As the warrior began teaching him the move, Blazeheart tuned out, watching the she-cat. Her tone was so sure and confident, a passionate blaze to her eyes as she showed the kit what she loved to do, it filled him with admiration. Blazeheart was glad that Ripplekit had interrupted him, before he'd said something stupid. He didn't know what he would say to Ambertalon yet about how he felt, but a den full of his Clanmates definitely wasn't the place to do it. His ears burned with embarrassment.

     “Cool!” Ripplekit declared after Ambertalon finished showing him the move. He scampered off towards his denmates, barreling into Sunnykit with a squeal. A new play fight broke out between the kits, Ripplekit pulling off a clumsy version of Ambertalon's move against Sunnykit. Ambertalon watched, whisker twitching, though pride shone in her eyes.

     As the kits continued their game, Ambertalon returned to Blazeheart, settling onto her haunches beside him, her tail curled around her paws. “Well, they're mousebrains, but at least they listen,” she mewed. “Ripplekit's even getting pretty good at that.”

     Blazeheart's whiskers twitched. “He really seems to like learning from you,” he commented.

     Ambertalon purred. “Yeah, he's an eager little guy.” She glanced over at Blazeheart, adding, “Between you and me, I might ask Bramblestar if I can mentor him. He's a good listener, and he really has potential to be a good fighter.”

     The tabby looked at her in surprise. It wasn't common for warriors to request who they would mentor. But Ambertalon wasn't every warrior, and he didn't doubt she had the confidence to try and convince her leader to give her an apprentice. “There's no harm in trying,” he purred, touching his nose to her ear in a friendly manner. “And you'd be a great mentor. Ripplekit would be lucky to have you.”

     Ambertalon's eyes flashed with pride, and, if Blazeheart wasn't mistaken, warmth. “Thanks, Blazeheart,” she mewed. “That means a lot from you.”

     Blazeheart felt a rush of joy at her words. As he tried to contain his purr, Ambertalon asked, “Oh, what were you going to say before Ripplekit called me over?”

     The tabby hesitated, then gave a small shake of his head. He wasn't brave enough yet to tell her. “I just wanted to thank you for coming out in the storm with me.” Blazeheart joked, “It isn't every warrior who would brave a blizzard to help their Clanmate feed the queens.”

     Ambertalon held his gaze for a moment. “I wouldn't do it for just any Clanmate.” That time he was certain he hadn't imagined the warmth in her gaze.

     Blazeheart's chest filled up with contented warmth. He leaned his shoulder against Ambertalon's, closer than he would have dared a few days ago, blinking slowly in contentment. She leaned into his touch, purring loudly as the two warriors watched the kits play. For the first time since the Gathering, Blazeheart felt like everything was perfect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Meant to get this done faster, but if I haven't made it clear already, I really, really, really have no idea how to write romance. XD It took forever and a lot of agonizing over word choice to figure out how to get this section right. I'm still not 100% on it, but I'm decently pleased with it. At least it was only six days this time. ^^
> 
> Anyway, here's the newest chapter. Have some fluff, AmberBlaze shippers. ^^ I hope you like it, as it's a pain in the tail to write. :P
> 
> This chapter was going to involve them going to the elder's den and hearing Cloudtail tell the story of him going hunting as a kit, but eh, whatever. :P
> 
> Next chapter is from Silentstorm's POV. We're getting closer to the end, only nine chapters left, plus a couple bonus chapters maybe. ^^


	20. Chapter Eighteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Silentstorm goes to meet with a friend.

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 3: Waning Moon  
Chapter Eighteen

     “Where are you going?”

     Silentstorm looked up, ears flicking towards Squirrelflight. “Hunting,” she replied. It was the first time in days the she-cat had time away from patrols. She and Darkbreeze had agreed to meet on the border, and with some work and some suggestions to Squirrelflight, she had somehow managed to arrange her patrols around her visit to the border. Silentstorm had been just about to leave camp when Squirrelflight had stopped her.

     The deputy's voice was firm as she mewed, “Not alone. Tomorrow is the half moon – I don't want any cat roaming out there alone this close to Breeze's deadline. It's too risky.”

     Silentstorm's ears drooped in disappointment. As much as she wanted to argue, she knew the deputy had a point. There was only one day left before Breeze's second warning. She wanted to sink her claws into his mangy pelt as much as any cat, but she knew she couldn't take a patrol of rogues on her own. “Yes, Squirrelflight,” she murmured, dipping her head.

     “I'll go with her, Squirrelflight.” Both Silentstorm and Squirrelflight looked up in surprise as Ivypool's voice. Ivypool padded towards them, facing her deputy calmly. “I'm not needed for any patrols right now, and I'd be glad to share a hunt with my old apprentice.”

     Squirrelflight hesitated. “I don't know...”

     “We'll be fine,” Ivypool assured her, almost sounding amused. “I know all the same tricks as Breeze, and I was training there longer than him. Silentstorm and I can handle any rogue patrol that comes our way.”

     After a moment, Squirrelflight sighed. “Alright. But be careful, and don't be gone too long.” She padded away, leaving Silentstorm alone with her former mentor.

     “Come along, Silentstorm,” Ivypool mewed before she could protest. “We should get going.” The older warrior padded past Silentstorm, brushing her tail against the younger cat's shoulder as she headed for the bramble entrance. After a moment, Silentstorm followed her.

     They left the camp behind them, and were a good way into the forest before Ivypool spoke again. “Mousebrain!” she hissed, the calm tone she had used with Squirrelflight gone. “What were you thinking, going out alone to meet your WindClan friend with Breeze out there?” Silentstorm opened her jaws, but Ivypool cut her off with a lash of her tail. “Don't look so surprised. I know what you look like when you're trying to sneak out to meet her.”

     Silentstorm sighed. “It's the first time in days we've gotten the chance to meet. I wanted to make sure she's still alright.”

     Ivypool glanced back at Silentstorm for a moment, then looked away, shaking her head with a snort. “Stubborn as a badger,” she growled.

     “Listen, if you want to stop me –”

     “Who said I wanted to stop you?” Ivypool grumbled. “I'm coming, aren't I?”

     Silentstorm blinked. “Wait, really?”

     Ivypool nodded, mewing, “I know you well enough to know I can't stop you. And it's too dangerous for you to go alone.” She flattened her ears. “Just make sure that friend of yours doesn't step one paw over the border. Friend or not, I'll claw her ears off.”

     The blind warrior couldn't hold back a purr. Ivypool had been willing to look the other way for her friendship with Darkbreeze before. But coming with her to a meeting with her friend from an enemy Clan had to be a big sacrifice for Ivypool, who rarely strayed outside of the warrior code. “Thanks,” she mewed. “I mean it, thanks.”

     For a moment, Ivypool didn't reply. Then, she snorted. “Let's just get this over with,” the older warrior mewed irritably. Silentstorm didn't argue, following after her former mentor with her tail curled in pleasure.

     It didn't take them long to reach the WindClan border. Darkbreeze was waiting by the border, alone. She started to stand and call out a greeting as Silentstorm approached, only for the greeting to die in her throat as she noticed Ivypool behind her. “What are you doing here?” she asked carefully, voice cooler than Silentstorm usually heard it.

     “Don't worry,” Silentstorm told her friend. “Ivypool knows we hang out.”

     Darkbreeze blinked. “Oh,” she said, her voice sounding a lot friendlier. “That's good to know.”

     Ivypool lashed her tail, a low growl rumbling in her throat. For a moment, Silentstorm feared she would forget her promise and attack Darkbreeze regardless. But after a pause, she just stalked away, grumbling, “Just keep your paws on your side of the border, hare-chaser.” The warrior settled a few fox-lengths away, her back turned to the conversation, but her ears flicked towards it. Silentstorm felt like she was trying to give the friends privacy to speak, but still keep an eye on the conversation, to keep her former apprentice safe.

     Darkbreeze cast an uncertain glance after Ivypool. She murmured to Silentstorm in a low voice, “Are you sure about this? Ivypool doesn't seem very happy that we're meeting here.”

     “She's not,” Silentstorm answered. “But she won't tell on me.”

     The WindClan warrior hestitated a moment longer, then settled onto the grass on her side of the border, Silentstorm following suit. “I can't stay long,” Darkbreeze told her. “But I had to see you again. I heard a ThunderClan warrior died.”

     Silentstorm winced. “Foxleap,” she told Darkbreeze. “Breeze's rogues killed him on the half moon.”

     Darkbreeze nodded slowly. “They killed Harespring too,” she murmured. “Silentstorm, I could smell my father's scent on his pelt. Breeze was there.” There was a tremor in the warrior's voice.

     Anger flared in Silentstorm. She dug her claws into the grass, snarling, “That traitor.” She lifted her head, growling, “We can't let it happen again tomorrow. Breeze can't take any more of our Clanmates.”

     To Silentstorm's surprise, the anger she had seen in Darkbreeze last time they had met was gone. “What if we can't stop him?”

     Silentstorm froze in shock. Last time, she had been the one uncertain that they should risk losing Clanmates to stand against Breeze, and Darkbreeze had been the one confident that they needed to stand and fight. But now, her friend sounded almost resigned to defeat. “What are you saying?” she asked carefully.

     “I don't know,” Darkbreeze admitted. “But they killed Harespring when he was sitting just outside of camp. If they can pick off our warriors from right outside of camp, how can we protect any of our cats?”

     The blind warrior blinked. “You were the one who said we had to fight last time,” she pointed out.

     “I know that,” Darkbreeze mewed. “And I still don't think we should run.” She lowered her head. “But I'm scared,” she admitted. “I know how much my father hates WindClan. He killed Harespring because he knew it would frighten us; he didn't care about his life at all. And it isn't just Harespring.” Silentstorm's ears flicked forward in surprise. “Prey has been going missing. I keep finding rogue scent everywhere, and Breeze is always with them. It's almost like he's taunting us. Like he can go anywhere in our territory that he wants, and we're powerless to stop him.”

     Silenstorm's pelt prickled ominously. Aside from the mangled hare left on the border, Breeze and his rogues had rarely been scented on ThunderClan territory. It sounded like they were harassing WindClan a lot more than ThunderClan. She wondered whether that meant Breeze hated them more for exiling him, or whether it just meant he hadn't gotten to the other Clans yet. “Has anyone caught them on your territory?” she asked.

     Darkbreeze shook her head. “Breeze grew up on the moor,” she explained. “He knows how to avoid our patrols.” There was a weary note to her tone, almost sounding like defeat.

     A rush of sympathy came over Silentstorm. She stretched out her muzzle, brushing it against Darkbreeze's in a comforting manner. “I'm sorry,” she murmured. “And I'm scared too.” The warrior heard a warning growl from Ivypool from her muzzle crossing the border, but she ignored her. She knew far more than her friend why the Clans had to fear the coming battle. But unlike her friend, she also knew that the Three were readying themselves for battle against Breeze.

     Silentstorm had been keeping an eye on the Three ever since learning of their plans. While she hadn't had a good chance to slip them information about Shade yet, she had been able to keep an ear open for their progress. Dovewing had not been able to find Breeze or his followers. She would occasionally see a rogue out hunting, or traveling, but she could never keep an eye on them long enough before her kits demanded her attention, or some Clanmate needed her help with something. But Silentstorm didn't doubt that the Three would pull through. They held the power o the stars in their paws, more power than StarClan and the Dark Forest would ever have; how could they fail? But she couldn't tell Darkbreeze that without giving away the Three's secret.”

     “It'll be alright, though,” was all she said. “We're warriors. As long as we have something to fight for, we'll find a way.” She pulled back, mewing in a brisker tone, “Now, we only have a little time left. Let's not spend it moping.”

     Her friend hesitated a moment, before giving a quick shake of her head. “You're right. And there's something good I wanted to tell you anyway.” The familiar cheer was starting to return to Darkbreeze's voice, even if it was still more subdued than before.

     “What is it?” Silentstorm asked.

     “Nightfern had her kits!” Darkbreeze told her with a purr. “Two nights ago, she had four healthy kits. One she-kit and three toms.”

     Silentstorm purred, “That's great!” Her tail curled with pleasure. Though she didn't know Nightfern as well as her more outgoing sister, she still liked the she-cat, and was glad for Darkbreeze's sake that the kits were born and healthy. “Did the birthing go alright?”

     “It went fine,” Darkbreeze answered. “Nightfern is fine, and so are all of the kits. Kestrelflight says they're a little thin, but that's to be expected for a leafbare litter. Wetwhisker and Nightfern are over the moon. They adore their kits so much already.” There was a fierce fondness in her tone that told Silentstorm the parents weren't the only ones who adored the kits. “They're so cute.”

     The blind warrior mewed, “That's really great, Darkbreeze. Congratulations.” She tipped her head. “Do they have names yet?”

     “Shadekit, Gorsekit, Thicketkit, and Graykit,” Darkbreeze said in a cheery purr. “Heathertail and Crowfeather have been fussing over them, and Wetwhisker hardly leaves the nursery. I think the only reason he still goes on patrols is because he's still trying to prove himself to the Clan.”

     “How is that going, anyway?” Silentstorm asked.

     Darkbreeze said, “Much better. He's been with us a few moons now, and no one really seems quite as hostile anymore. I think it really helps now that his kits with Nightfern are here. He has something that ties him to the Clan, now, his blood mixed with WindClan blood.” She paused for a moment. “I had my doubts at first, but I can tell, Wetwhisker really loves my sister. He's working so hard to prove himself to the Clan so he can be with her.”

     “That's great,” the blind she-cat mewed. Her heart was growing lighter as the conversation had turned to happier thoughts. Her worries were Shade were lighter than they had been in days, and now, with the new life starting in WindClan, she was finally starting to feel like the future might be a brighter one.

     They chatted for a while longer, swapping news about new queens and the progress of apprentices, before finally saying their goodbyes. As Darkbreeze bounded off lightly into the snowy moorland, Silentstorm padded back to Ivypool. “Thanks for staying,” she mewed. “Squirrelflight would pull my whiskers off if I came back alone.”

     Ivypool was silent for a moment. “You're still a mousebrain,” she finally mewed. “But that friend of yours isn't so bad. A bit perky, I guess, but not so bad.” She paused a moment, flicking her tail. “I'm not a huge fan of sneaking around like this. It hasn't worked well for some of your Clanmates in the past.” Silentstorm's ears flicked forward with interest, but Ivypool didn't elaborate. “But if you're just sharing harmless gossip, I guess that's alright.”

     Silentstorm grew sober. “I promise you, I would never betray my Clan for Darkbreeze,” she told Ivypool seriously. “She's my best friend, and I'm not going to feel bad for meeting with her even if my Clanmates don't approve. But ThunderClan always comes first.”

     “I know,” Ivypool told her. “I'm not wild about it, but I trust your judgment.” She touched her nose to Silentstorm's ear, mewing, “Now come on. We still have to hunt before we get back, and the Clan will be expecting us soon.”

     Ivypool rose to her paws, padding off. Silentstorm followed after her old mentor, tail curling, heart lighter than it had been in days.

**SCENEBREAK**

     That night, Silentstorm curled up in her nest, pressed against the warmth of Blazeheart's pelt on one side, Ambertalon on her other. She had been able to catch a decently-sized squirrel, which Cloudtail and Brightheart had praised heartily when she delivered it to the elders. A contented purr rumbled in Silentstorm's throat as she lowered her head onto her moss nest, slipping off into sleep.

     That contentment shifted into cold horror as she drifted into a dream. The familiar stench of must and rotting wood flooded her nostrils, mist swirling around her pelt. “Looking for someone?” a crackling voice mewed in a silky purr.

     Silentstorm stiffened, a growl rising in her throat. “Shade,” she spat.

     A laugh, like the clattering of stones, rose from Shade. The mist around Silentstorm stilled, pressing against her pelt. “I've been watching you, little cat,” she purred. “You wanted to speak with me.”

     The blind she-cat crouched, lashing her tail. “Yes,” she growled, muscles tensed as she waited for a response. She had been waiting for this conversation for almost a moon. Now that it was here, the she-cat mostly felt wary. She didn't trust Shade not to turn it into a fight.

     “Very well.” The mist backed off a little, giving Silentstorm room to breathe. “I know you have questions, Silent One. So, ask them.”

     “And you'll tell me the truth?” Silentstorm asked warily.

     The sharp, clinking sound of Shade's laughter came again. “Even if I say yes, would you honestly believe me?” Shade pointed out. Silentstorm didn't answer, only lashing her tail once. “Take my answers as you will, little cat. It makes no difference to me.”

     Silentstorm wanted to argue further, but after a moment, she had to admit that Shade had a point. She hadn't tried to force herself into the Dark Forest night after night, just to back out now because Shade might lie to her. “Alright,” she mewed slowly. “What do you know about Breeze?”

     “The little hare chaser?” Shade asked, sounding bored. She seemed dismissive, but her tone seemed too carefully composed to Silentstorm. “I know the hared in his heart. It gives him strength.”

     Silentstorm growled, “That's not the only thing giving him strength. He has allies.”

     “Ah, yes,” Shade said. “That rabble of scrawny forest rogues and bitter house pets. What a terrifying force.” She pressed her mist against Silentstorm, purring, “I can see why every Clan cat is itching to run for the hills.”

     “We aren't running,” Silentstorm snarled. “And that's not who I meant. You only started appearing in my dreams right before Breeze attacked the Gathering. You're working together with him, aren't you?”

     She flinched away from the sharp sound of Shade's laughter right beside her ear. “Now, whatever gave you that impression, Silent One?” The mist swirled around Silentstorm's neck and head, weaving uncomfortably through her fur. The warrior gave a sharp shake of her head, growling.

     “Enough!” the warrior snapped. She jerked her chin up, teeth flashing as she split her jaws in a vicious snarl. “Why haven't the rogues attacked yet? What are you planning with them?”

     The mist pulled tighter around Silentstorm, a sharper edge to Shade's voice. “Be careful, little cat. The answers you seek aren't as simple as you might like. Your paws are about to carry you into a conflict much bigger than yourself. You have no idea how deep this goes, and no matter what you do, you can't stop me.”

     “Maybe I can't,” Silentstorm growled, thinking of the Three. “But I know cats who can.”

     The only response she got was the sharp sound of laughter, cruel and clattering. She felt her pelt growing heavy, something dragging her under, as the Dark Forest fell away beneath her paws. As Silentstorm was swept away into a new dream, she heard Shade hiss, “Rest well, Silent One. You'll need it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still not totally satisfied with this, but meh. At least it's done.
> 
> For those wondering, Shadekit is the she-cat in Nightfern's litter. I can't wait to draw these kits later. :D Also, for those wondering, Nightfern and Wetwhisker named their kits after aspects from both of their Clans. Shadekit is named after ShadowClan, Thicketkit named after a thicket would find in a forest, Gorsekit after gorse on a moor.
> 
> I also wanted to name one of the kits after WindClan, but I didn't think Windkit would work, Breezekit would've sounded too much like Breeze, and no other variation of the word "wind" was sitting well with me. So Graykit is named after Gray Wing. For those who haven't read Dawn of the Clans, Gray Wing was one of the early settlers of WindClan. You might know him as Graywing the Wise mentioned in Battles of the Clans.
> 
> As stated, the next day is the second half moon. That's what the next chapter will cover. We'll be sticking to Silentstorm's POV.


	21. Chapter Nineteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The second half moon is here.

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 3: Waning Moon  
Chapter Nineteen

     Silentstorm jolted awake, panting. For a moment, her thoughts scattered, tripping over themselves as she tried to remember where she was. As she tried to catch her breath, though, her mind began to calm, though her pelt still prickled with fear. She was in her nest in the warrior's den, it was the day of the half moon, and Shade's taunting words still echoed in her ears.

     “Silentstorm?” She heard her brother shifting beside her, voice low and groggy. “What's wrong?”

     “Nothing,” she told Blazeheart quickly, even though her pelt still quivered with fear. Apparently, Blazeheart wasn't awake enough to notice. He gave an unintelligible murmur, then lowered his head back onto his paws, curling into himself and drifting easily back into sleep. Silentstorm waited until she heard him snore, then released the breath she had been holding. She still felt cold all over.

     The warrior forced herself onto her paws, picking her way around the sleeping warriors as she exited the den. A blast of cold air greeted her as she stepped out into the clearing. Silentstorm ducked her head against the cold, ears flattening against her head.

     As she made her way to the side of the fallen beech, Silentstorm mulled over her dream. While she still had faith in the Three, Shade's taunting had her worried. She hadn't had a good chance before now to drop hints about Shade since overhearing their plans. But now, she was out of time for dropping hints. No matter how much trouble it got her into, she was just going to have to tell one of them about Shade, and that she had overheard their plans. They had to be warned.

     Silentstorm was about to start heading towards the medicine den when nearby pawsteps alerted her. “Ah, good, Silentstorm, you're up,” Squirrelflight mewed, approaching the blind warrior. “You can go with the dawn patrol. Rosepetal got a thorn in her paw, and I need another cat to take her place.” She could hear the patrol standing by the camp's entrance. Berrynose was muttering something to Poppyfrost, while Seedlight swept her tail across the snow, the tip flicking impatiently.

     The blind cat hesitated. “I...” She turned her head, flicking her ears towards the medicine den as she hesitated. After a moment, she turned back to the deputy. “Yes, Squirrelflight,” she mewed reluctantly.

     “Good.” Squirrelflight padded away, leaving Silentstorm standing alone, lashing her tail in frustration. But as she padded towards the patrol, she did her best to shake off her uneasiness. She had the whole rest of the day to warn the Three. She could do it when she got back.

**SCENEBREAK**

     It was nearly sunhigh. The dawn patrol had just returned to camp. Seedlight was carrying a wren between her jaws; the she-cat had been quick enough to tackle it when it had burst from a bush in front of her. “Take that to the elders,” Berrynose ordered, flicking his stump of a tail towards the elder's den. Seedlight gave a brisk nod, then trotted off towards the den, tail waving behind her.

     As soon as they entered camp, Silentstorm made a straight beeline for the medicine den. She had to tell Jayfeather what she knew.

     As she entered the medicine den, she heard Squirrelflight mewing, “It's too dangerous, Jayfeather.”

     “I have to go,” Jayfeather hissed. “The other medicine cats will be expecting...” he trailed off, both cats looking up as Silentstorm entered the den. “Silentstorm. What do you want?” She knew better than to be offended by his sharp tone, especially at a time like this.

     “There's something I need to tell you,” she mewed firmly.

     Jayfeather seemed to sense the urgency of her tone. His ears flicked forward, tone growing serious. “What is it?”

     Silentstorm opened her jaws to answer, only to be interrupted by a cry from outside the den. “Intruders!”

     All three cats stiffened. In an instant, they had raced out of the den, hurrying out into the stone hollow, the rest of their Clanmates running out of their dens as well. Finchpaw was standing by the camp's entrance, panting and shaking. Something in Silentstorm's chest clenched tight in fear.

     Bramblestar leaped down from the High Ledge, hurrying up to the apprentice. “What happened?” the leader demanded.

     Finchpaw struggled to catch his breath. “We were... we were out hunting,” he gasped. “Lightpaw and Sparkpaw took me hunting. I smelled them first. A rogue patrol.” Even from where she stood, Silentstorm could hear how badly he was shaking. “Lightpaw and Sparkpaw stayed behind. They... they said I was the fastest, that I should run back and warn the Clan, and they would stay behind to distract the rogues as long as they could. But they're heading for camp!”

     Bramblestar stiffened. “Every cat, prepare for battle!” he yowled. Cats began scrambling in every direction. “Protect the elders and queens!”

     Silentstorm raced towards the elder's den, hackles rising. It was too late to tell Jayfeather. The Three would have to face the threat without knowing about Shade. But she wasn't afraid; her blood rushed with energy, a fierce snarl bubbling up from her throat. The Three were all in camp; the rogues were about to walk into a fight they couldn't possibly win.

     Only a few moments later, she heard a warning yowl, and the thundering sound of approaching paws. Lightpaw and Sparkpaw burst through the bramble entrance, yowling a warning to their Clan, the rogues on their paws. For a moment, Silentstorm's resolve faltered. She couldn't pick out exactly how many enemies were approaching, but it sounded like the paws of an entire Clan.

     “Attack!” Bramblestar screeched. ThunderClan warriors rushed the intruders, screeching and yowling as they attacked the rouges. Silentstorm leaped onto a hefty tom, snarling viciously as she wrestled him to the ground. He struggled, thrashing wildly as she delivered a series of bites to his neck and shoulder.

     The tom kicked out hard with one paw, connecting hard with her jaw. She was unbalanced enough for the tom to wriggle free, swiping at her shoulder with unsheathed claws. Her pelt burned where his claws had struck, filling her with fury. She slammed her shoulder into him, throwing him off balance, before whirling around and snapping her jaws down on his tail. The tom screeched, ripping free and fleeing back into the battle.

     Silentstorm shook her pelt out, snarling and trying to listen for more approaching enemies. In the den behind her, she could hear the elders shuffling around. Spiderleg was snarling, Cloudtail and Brightheart edging towards the entrance as they waited for the rogues to approach. Birchfall and Mousewhisker stood a few tail-lengths way, crouching in front of the den, snarling protectively.

     The blind warrior arched her back, snarling. She was ready to rush back into the battle, only to be distracted by a fierce yowl. Silentstorm stiffened, recognizing the battle cry of her father.

     Lionblaze was being swarmed by rogues. Silentstorm couldn't make out everything she was hearing, but she could hear the furious yowling of her father, and the snarling of rogues. She felt a rush of fierce satisfaction; now, the rogues were going to face ThunderClan's unbeatable warrior. They were going to regret ever setting paw in ThunderClan's camp.

     Only, as she listened, she wasn't hearing regret. The growls of the rogues weren't afraid; they were confident. As she listened closer, she could hear Lionblaze swiping at the rogues, but she didn't hear any fur tearing or any yowls of pain. Instead, paws were shuffling on the dirt, the rogues dancing out of reach every time Lionblaze took a swipe at them. He tried to break through the barrier of rogues around him, only for one to distract him from behind, darting promptly out of reach as Lionblaze whirled on her. Horror washed over Silentstorm. These rogues weren't trying to fight Lionblaze; they knew they couldn't win. They were trying to keep him trapped, away from the fight. And it was working.

     “Help him!” Silentstorm yowled at her Clanmates. She darted towards the swarm of rogues, Mousewhisker following right behind her, while Birchfall stayed to protect the elders. Silentstorm screeched a battle cry as she hurled herself on one of the rogues, tackling a scrawny tom to the ground. The tom responded with surprising speed, slithering away from her and whirling back on her, wrapping his front paws around her neck and sinking his fangs into her shoulder. Silentstorm snarled, twisting her head back to grab his scruff between her teeth. She rose up on her hind paws, digging her claws into his shoulder and side as she tried to wrestle him down.

     She had almost dragged him to the ground when another rogue attacked her from behind, hooking her claws into Silentstorm's flanks and dragging her away from the other rogue. Silentstorm screeched, turning snapping jaws on the she-cat rogue, but the scrawny tom yanked on her shoulder, slamming her onto the ground. She struggled, thrashing with her legs and snapping with her jaws, but her foreleg and hip were being pinned by the two rogues.

     Silentstorm could hear Lionblaze yowling in fury as she was pinned, and Mousewhisker's snarl of pain as he was swarmed by rogues. The snarl rose in pitch, becoming a terrified screech as more cats swarmed him. All aroudn the stone hollow, Silentstorm could hear similar yowls and screeches, and the paws of more and more rogues. Her blood chilled; she had never heard so many cats in the camp before. There seemed to be no end to the flood of rogues. She could hear Lightpaw and Sparkpaw snarling as they double-teamed a rouge, Bramblestar snarling furiously as he was swarmed by rogues, Millie's screech as rogues broke into the elder's den. There seemed to be cats everywhere, the rogues far outnumbering her Clanmates. And with a jolt of horror, Silentstorm began to realize that this might not be a fight her Clan could win.

     Searing pain flooded through the she-cat as the rogue she-cat bit down hard on her side. Silentstorm felt a rush of fury. She struck out hard with one leg, kicking one of the she-cat's legs out from under her. As the she-cat stumbled, Silentstorm managed to wriggled her hind end free. She pulled her shoulder out from under the tom, hooking one front paw around his leg and pulling it out from under him as she jerked back. He stumbled forward, and she pounced, holding his shoulders and neck down with her paws as she bit down hard on his ear.

     “ _RE-EE-OWR!_ ” The scrawny tom ripped free from Silentstorm's grasp, blood spurting from his badly-torn ear. He fled, leaving Silentstorm to whirl on the she-cat. A quick series of swipes to her face and neck sent the she-cat fleeing.

     Once both of her opponents were gone, she hurried to Mousewhisker. The senior warrior was being pinned by three rogues, still screeching. Silentstorm bore down on the rogues, snapping her jaws down on the scruff of one and ripping her off of Mousewhisker, flinging her away. The other two rogues looked up form Mousewhisker, turning on her. She fluffed out her pelt like Mistystar had taught her, snarling viciously. “Leave him alone!” The warrior struck out at one rogue with a heavy paw, sending him stumbling away, and tackling the other rogue. Seeing the furious, massive she-cat, the two rogues turned tail and fled pretty quickly.

     Beside her, Mousewhisker struggled onto his paws, groaning. “Thanks,” he rasped, sounding hoarse.

     “No problem. Now, come on!” She started back off into the battle. They had to help get the swarm of rogues away from Lionblaze, so he could fight properly.

     Mousewhisker started to follow her. After taking a few steps, however, the warrior stumbled, falling forward with a gasp. Silentstorm paused, turning back to hurry to the tom's side. Mousewhisker tried to get up, but his legs buckled from under him. He slid back to the ground with a whimper. As Silentstorm put a paw on his shoulder to try and help him, she felt warm, sticky blood under her paw. With horror, she realized Mousewhisker was more badly hurt than she had realized. Blood pulsed from a large gash on the side of his neck.

     “Come on,” she mewed. “We have to get you to Jayfeather.” Silentstorm lowered herself to the ground, nudging her muzzle under his side and sliding herself under Mousewhisker, pushing him onto her back. Mousewhisker gasped in pain, blood rushing faster from his wounds, but she did her best to ignore him. Once he was supported across her broad shoulders, Silentstorm set off towards the medicine den.

     Before she could reach it, a weight hurled into her, throwing her off balance, and making Mousewhisker fall from her back. She tried to turn back to him, but another rogue had attacked Mousewhisker, dragging him away from Silentstorm.

     “No!” Silentstorm tried to follow them, but the other rogue was in her way, striking out at her muzzle with long, hooked claws. She flinched away, snarling as pain blazed through her muzzle.

     Suddenly, the rogue stopped his attack. “Ah, so it's you.”

     With a jolt, Silentstorm recognized the meow. “Breeze!” she hissed, hatred flooding her veins. The leader of the rogues, the traitor who was the cause of all this destruction, was in front of her now. “I didn't expect to see you here,” she sneered. “I thought you were the sort of cat to send your cats to fight your battles for you.” She was trying to pinpoint his exact location, figuring out the best way to attack him.

     “There was someone here I wanted to see,” Breeze hissed, suddenly sounding please.

     Silentstorm crouched, reading herself for battle. “And who was that?”

     “You.” Without warning, Breeze was crashing into her, sending both of them tumbling. Silentstorm was biting and clawing at him in an instant, but the scrawny rogue was a tougher fighter than she had guessed. There was surprising strength in his limbs as he wrapped his forelegs around her neck, biting at her shoulder and wrestling her downward. She tried to twist away, but his grip was strong. Furious, Silentstorm let herself be pushed down towards the ground, using the momentum to twist and push him away from her. As he tried to recover, she sprung at him, biting fiercely at his back.

     Breeze slithered from her grasp, panting. “You're good,” he spat, almost sounding pleased. “Ivypool taught you well, Silentstorm. But you forget; I trained with the most powerful warriors the Clans have ever cast out.”

     She crouched, snarling, “How do you know my name?”

     “We have a mutual friend,” Breeze told her in a smug hiss. “She said to give you her regards.”

      _Shade!_ Silentstorm glared sightlessly at the tom, warning, “You have no idea what kind of _friend_ you've made.”

     He hissed, “Maybe I know _exactly_ what kind of friend I've made.” He sprung at her again. She rose on her hind paws, meeting his attack, but he ducked low, coming up from under her chest and throwing her back. As Silentstorm fell with a thud, Breeze crouched over her, digging his claws into her neck. She gasped, agonizing pain searing through her pelt like fire. “And any friend that lets me rid the forest of the kits of Lionblaze is a friend worth keeping.” His voice shook with awful hatred, claws digging in even deeper.

     “You're not getting rid of me, traitor,” Silentstorm managed to gasp out. She managed to thrash free, whirling onto her back and striking out at him with four paws full of hooked claws. Breeze reared back, screeching, giving her enough time to tumble away from him and leap back onto her paws.

     Breeze started towards her, ready for another attack. Then, suddenly, an agonized wail rose from the nursery. Silentstorm's heart clenched with terror. Breeze paused, a cruel purr coming from his lips. “It seems our work is done,” he hissed. As Silentstorm lunged at him, he danced out of her grasp, fleeing into the throng of fighting cats. Silentstorm started to chase him, but quickly lost track of him in the chaos of the battle. Reluctantly, she turned away, racing instead towards the nursery.

     As she neared the nursery, she heard a dreadful snarling, and a young cry of, “Leave her alone!” A rogue broke away from the nursery, struggling against something. With surprise, Silentstorm realized that Ripplekit and Skykit were clinging to the rogue, swarming across his back and shoulders, biting and clawing any patch of fury they could find. The rogue managed to shake Skykit free, whirling on him, but Silentstorm was there. She slammed her paw against his jaw, sending him tumbling to the ground. The warrior approached, ready to attack again, but there was no need. The rogue fled into the battle.

     Silentstorm barely had a moment to breath when Skykit and Ripplekit raced up to her, pressing their paws against her pelt. “Silentstorm, you have to help!” Skykit gasped.

     Somewhere across the hollow, Silentstorm heard Breeze's yowl. “Retreat!” His rogues immediately abandoned whoever they were fighting, turning tail and fleeing for the camp's entrance. The ThunderClan warriors seemed confused, but soon began yowling, cheering their easy victory. But Silentstorm felt only dread.

     She turned back to the nursery, hurrying inside with the kits hard on her tail. As she broke through the nursery entrance, she was greeted by a scene of chaos. Daisy and Squirrelflight were blocking Blossomfall and the deputy's kits, tangled in battle with nearby rogues. As they heard Breeze's cry, however, the rogues halted their attack on the queens, rushing back Silentstorm and the kits on their way out of the den. Silentstorm resisted the urge to chase them.

     “No!” She heard Ripplekit give a desperate cry, the two tom kits rushing towards something in the far corner of the den. Heart filled with dread, Silentstorm followed them, the acrid stench of blood growing stronger as she did. She halted as she reached what the kits were crouching over.

     “Oh, StarClan,” she breathed. Dovewing lay on the dusty floor of the nursery, ominously still. The queen seemed smaller now, her pelt plastered with blood as Silentstorm laid a paw on her flank. Skykit and Ripplekit were whimpering as they tried to rouse their mother. For a moment, Silentstorm felt lost as a kit. Dovewing was one of the Three. She couldn't be dead. She just couldn't.

     Suddenly, she felt something. The faintest stirring under her paw. Dovewing's sides were still rising and falling, very, very faintly. She could heard a raspy bubbling noise from Dovewing's throat as the horribly-injured queen tried to breathe.

     “She's alive!” Silentstorm nosed Dovewing's side, trying to find the worst injuries. She froze in horror as she found a horrible gash on the queen's throat. Dovewing was alive, but horribly weak, and quickly bleeding out her life.

     As she hesitated, a cat swept briskly past her, crouching over Dovewing. “Squirrelflight, keep Dovewing's kits out of the way,” Daisy mewed firmly. “Shadowkit, Redkit, Sunnykit, find me as much moss as you can.” The former horseplace cat began scooping pawfuls of moss together, pressing them against Dovewing's wounds. She looked up briefly, ordering Silentstorm, “Go get Jayfeather. Dovewing needs help _now._ ”

     Silentstorm forced herself out of her shock. “Yes, Daisy!” She scrambled away, hurrying out of the den and back out into the clearing.

     The rogues were all gone, leaving as quickly as they had arrived. The stone hollow was left in chaos behind them. Everywhere, cats were lying injured, or sitting, stunned. Berrynose was lying awkwardly on one side, Poppyfrost nosing him to his paws. Bumblestripe and Molefoot were limping towards the elder's den, while Sparkpaw checked over an injured Lightpaw. Bramblestar was weaving between his Clanmates, checking on each of them, while a few cats whimpered or yelped their pain. A cloud of despair came over Silentstorm. It didn't matter that the rogues had fled. ThunderClan had lost this battle.

     After a few moments, she was able to pick out Jayfeather's scent from the crowd. She headed across the clearing towards him. With a rush of horror, she realized the medicine cat was crouching over Mousewhisker. The senior warrior was motionless on the ground, a dreadful gurgling as he tried to breathe with a badly-bleeding throat.

     “Jayfeather.” The tom flinched, as though he hadn't heard her approach. “Dovewing's badly hurt. She needs your help.”

     “Every cat needs my help,” Jayfeather snapped. “Can't you see I'm busy?”

     Silentstorm bore his anger patiently. “She's dying,” the warrior rasped.

     Jayfeather sighed, pausing. “Go get Brightheart,” he ordered wearily. “She can look after Mousewhisker for a while. I'll look after Dovewing.”

     Silentstorm dipped her head, mewing, “Yes, Jayfeather.” Her heart sinking, she turned and padded away, heading towards the elder's den. As she did, she tried to ignore the pain of her wounds, hopelessness crashing over her. A horrible, familiar voice whispered in her ears.

      _Your Three are powerless to stop me._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I guess I made up for all those long waits between chapters by writing two in one day. XD Writing fight scenes is so much easier than loads of dialogue.
> 
> Anyway, lots of stuff going on in this chapter. Dovewing and Mousewhisker are badly hurt, possibly dying, and ThunderClan has been devastated by this attack. Who lives, and who dies? You shall have to wait and see. ^^ At least you got to see two chapters in one day. :P
> 
> Next chapter will be in Blazeheart's POV. We're winding down here, seven chapters to go, plus some bonus ones, possibly.


	22. Chapter Twenty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ThunderClan deals with the aftermath of the battle.

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 3: Waning Moon  
Chapter Twenty

     “Blazeheart.”

     The tom flinched awake. Seedlight stood beside him, expression somber as she looked over her denmate. Blazeheart lifted his head, blinking blearily. As he did, the pain returned to his wounds, and he remembered.

     The entire Clan had been somber after the battle. Mousewhisker and Dovewing had been moved into the medicine den so Jayfeather could look after them. They were so badly off that Jayfeather had barely wanted to leave their sides; most of the other injured cats had been looked after by Leafpool and Brightheart. Blazeheart's own wounds were covered in cobwebs, and he had been given a few poppy seeds, but there hadn't been enough herbs to spare to treat him further. Most of the cats had been sent to sleep with similar treatment. Now that morning had come, the poppy seeds had worn off, and the pain returned full-force to his injuries.

     “Squirrelflight wanted to talk to you,” Seedlight told him.

     Blazeheart fought back a yawn. “Thanks. I'll go talk to her.”

     He pushed himself up onto his paws, gasping as it sent a fresh burst of pain to his wounds. A particularly nasty wound on his back seared with pain, blood beginning to trickle from it once more. Blazeheart twisted his head around to give it a quick swipe with his tongue. After pushing the cobwebs back into place over it, he left it and began padding out of the den.

     Sunlight reflected off of the snow; with a start, Blazeheart realized he had nearly slept to sunhigh. The camp was still devastated by yesterday's attack. All around, the dirt was scuffed and littered with torn fur. The nursery had a jagged hole torn through one wall, clumps of earth torn up near the medicine den. Some of his Clanmates were working on repairing the dens, but some were just staring blankly ahead, still stunned by the attack.

     Blazeheart spotted Squirrelflight near the base of the high ledge, speaking quietly to a few other warriors. He trotted towards her, mewing, “You wanted to see me?”

     The deputy looked up. “Ah, Blazeheart, there you are,” she mewed wearily. Blazeheart saw a nasty scratch on her shoulder bleeding, only a few scraggly cobwebs covering it. By the tired gleam in her eyes, Blazeheart guessed she hadn't gotten much sleep. “Daisy and Blossomfall are helping with the repairs. Can you look after the kits for a while?”

     Blazeheart dipped his head. “Yes, Squirrelflight.” He turned and padded towards the nursery, still stiff from the pain in his wounds. He could see Birchfall nearby, speaking to Seedlight and Blossomfall as they wove branches in the den wall. Blazeheart slipped inside den, mewing, “Hi kits.”

     He was surprised to see the kits weren't alone. Ambertalon was there, speaking to Dovewing's kits in a low voice. Squirrelflight's kits were lying in their nests, still asleep. Blazeheart heard Sunnykit whimper, and one of Redkit's legs kicked out in her sleep.

     “Hey,” Ambertalon greeted in a hushed tone. She touched noses briefly with Blazeheart as he entered the den. “I was just telling Ripplekit and Skykit how brave they were yesterday.” The kits were sitting in front of her, their expressions dull and unfocused. Skykit had a torn ear, and Ripplekit had a scratched muzzle with cobwebs slapped over it.

     Blazeheart's ears perked forward. “Oh yes, Silentstorm told me how you attacked the rogue that was hurting your mother,” he mewed to the kits.

     Ripplekit shuddered, fear flashing in his eyes, while Skykit lowered his head. “He was hurting her,” Skykit murmured. “She was wailing, it was horrible. We had to do something.”

     “You did the right thing,” Ambertalon told them. Skykit just gave a dull nod, but Ripplekit perked up the tiniest bit, as though Ambertalon's praise was bringing him out of his shock. “It was very brave to attack him like that, when he was so much bigger than you.” She touched her nose to Ripplekit's her tone a little lighter as she joked, “Just try to wait until you have some training before throwing yourself into the next battle, alright?”

     Ripplekit's expression softened a little. “Yes, Ambertalon,” he mewed.

     The kits wandered off for a moment, returning to a half-eaten thrush near the center of the den. As they nibbled at their meal, Ambertalon stretched herself out. "Those foxhearts," she grunted, wincing at some sore muscle. "They left me with less fur than a twoleg."

     Blazeheart nodded. “I couldn't sleep well last night,” he admitted. “My wounds kept aching.”

     Ambertalon sighed, shaking her head. “I never thought I'd be wishing for more of that herb goop Jayfeather uses,” she commented. “It smells awful, but I'd put up with any stench to make this stinging go away.”

     The tabby gave a weary flick of his tail in agreement. The throbbing in his back wound was becoming worse; Blazeheart twisted around to try and lick the wound, but he couldn't quite reach.

     “Here, let me.” Ambertalon moved closer to Blazeheart, bringing her muzzle around to his spine where the rogue had bitten him. Blazeheart stiffened as she began grooming the still-sensitive wound, but soon relaxed. She was actually starting to make his wound feel better.

     “Thanks,” he purred. As Ambertalon flicked her tail in answer, he saw a nasty scratch on her shoulder. Blazeheart dipped his head, lapping his tongue over the wound. The two cats were silent for a while, sharing tongues and easing each other's pain. As Ambertalon pulled back, Blazeheart lifted his head, looking at the she-cat for a moment. There was something unusually somber in her eyes, something almost like fear.

     “When that tabby bit you, I heard you screech,” she mewed. “For a moment, I thought she'd bitten your spine. I thought you were dead.”

     Blazeheart shuddered at the memory. A ginger tabby had wrestled him to the ground. When he'd been bitten, blinding pain had flood through his body. “So did I, at first,” he admitted. “It feels better now, though. Thanks to you.”

     Ambertalon still seemed hesitant. Blazeheart gazed at her, concerned. He had never seen the confident she-cat so uneasy before. To his surprise, she pressed her muzzle against his neck, murmuring, “I don't know what I would've done. You really scared me.”

     He stiffened in surprise. After a moment, he began to relax, joy making his pelt prickle. “I didn't think the mighty Ambertalon got scared,” he teased lightly, trying to ignore how her closeness made his head light. Suddenly, his wounds didn't seem to hurt so much anymore.

     “It's rare, but it happens,” Ambertalon joked, still pressed against Blazeheart. Even as she joked, something in her tone still seemed very serious. She almost seemed to hesitate over her next words. “I really care about you, mousebrain. Don't scare me like that.”

     Blazeheart held his breath, almost afraid he had misheard. Anxiety crept over him, even now, in the face of what she was saying. He was afraid to make a mistake by admitting his own feelings. But slowly, his fear was replaced by fierce joy, and affection, and love. He lowered his chin onto her head, leaning into her embrace, purring fiercely. “I care about you too,” he murmured.

     He could feel Ambertalon purring against his chest. She pressed his muzzle more against his neck, purring loudly. They sat together for a while like that, sitting side by side, pressed against each other and purring. Blazeheart couldn't remember ever feeling so happy.

     The spell was broken by a wailing outside of the nursery. Blazeheart and Ambertalon pulled apart, looking up sharply. Ripplekit and Skykit abandoned their thrush to follow the warriors as they approached the den's entrance, Squirrelflight's kits blinking awake in the corner of the den.

     Blazeheart pushed his muzzle past the den's entrance, watching the stone hollow from within. Rosepetal was stumbling out of the medicine den, looking stunned. “Mousewhisker is dead!” the cream she-cat wailed to her Clanmates.

     Stunned silence greeted Rosepetal's words. Blazeheart heard an audible gasp from just outside the den, and Blossomfall rushed past the den, abandoning her work to rush to the medicine den. Daisy hurried from the elder's den, joining Blossomfall as they moved into the medicine den. He caught a flash of cream fur from within, and the sweep of a gray-and-white tail. Hazeltail and Berrynose had been with their brother to the end, and now his whole family was there to mourn him.

     “Oh StarClan,” Blazeheart breathed, something twisting in his gut. He pressed against Ambertalon, trying to ground himself as grief threatened to sweep him off his paws. “Not another cat.” Ambertalon leaned against him as well, a low growl rumbling in her throat. Ripplekit and Skykit were peeking out of the den from behind the warriors, looking dull with grief, and Squirrelflight's kits wore expressions of shock in the den behind them. A cold feeling of hopelessness crashed over Blazeheart. Was there no end to all of this loss?

     He wasn't the only one having doubts. Cats had begun drawing out of their dens at Rosepetal's announcement. Now, they were grouped together in clumps around the hollow, voices raising in panic.

     “Mousewhisker is dead!”  
     “But Jayfeather was helping him...”  
     “Will Dovewing die too?”  
     “We can't lose one of the Three!”

     Blazeheart felt panic rising in his chest. Were his Clanmates right? What would happen to ThunderClan if one of the Three died? How could they face this threat now, knowing the rogues were powerful enough to kill a cat with the power of the stars in her paws?

     Over the growing cacophony of fear, a commanding yowl sounded. “Silence!” The cries began to die down, every cat turning to look at the High Ledge. Bramblestar stood atop the High Ledge, glaring down at his Clan with his hackles raised. Every cat fell silent in the face of their leader's anger.

     Bramblestar waited for silence to fall, then yowled, “Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the High Ledge for a Clan meeting!”

     Blazeheart tried to fight down his panic, letting his pelt smooth over. On shaking paws, he followed Ambertalon out of the den, barely noticing as the kits all followed him out into the hollow. He gazed around the gathering crowd, looking for Snowfall to sit near him. After a few moments, he spotted the white tom near the medicine den, not looking at the High Ledge. With a jolt, Blazeheart remembered that Mousewhisker had been Snowfall's mentor. His friend was mourning.

     Instead, Blazeheart and Ambertalon joined Silentstorm near the front of the crowd. The blind she-cat flicked her tail wearily in greeting as they sat beside her, but didn't respond otherwise. There was a dull, defeated set to Silentstorm's expression that concerned Blazeheart. Was it grief for Mousewhisker, or fear of having lost the battle?

     Once every cat was gathered, Bramblestar growled, “I will not have Dovewing talked about this way, or Mousewhisker. His death is not a sign of losing one of the Three. He is our loyal Clanmate, and we will sit vigil for him tonight.” The dark tabby cast a brief, solemn glance at the medicine den, before continuing. “And Dovewing is not merely one of the Three. She is a loyal warrior, a loving mate and mother.” Blazeheart glanced back briefly at Ripplekit and Skykit. Dovewing's kits were sitting beside Bumblestripe, leaning against their father's legs. All three toms wore expressions of dull grief, and fear.

     “Jayfeather is working as hard as he can to save our Clanmates,” Bramblestar rumbled. “He will do everything he can to save Dovewing. Have faith in him, and in StarClan.” He grew even more serious. “If you believe we need the Three to win our battles, then you have forgotten what it means to be warriors,” he warned the listening cats. “We fight on our own strength, not with the power of the stars. If you don't trust your own strength, and the strength of your Clanmates, then you do not understand what it means to fight for your Clan.”

     The gathered cats were looking down at their paws, low murmurs rippling through the crowd. Blazeheart felt shame in his own heart. He had been thinking of Dovewing as only of the Three, not as a cat who would be missed on her own merits. Behind him, Millie pressed against Bumblestripe, murmuring something comforting to her son.

     As the atmosphere of his Clan changed, Bramblestar's expression softened. “We will discuss what will be done about Breeze,” he said. “I promise you that. But first, we must mourn for our fallen Clanmate.” Something gleamed in his eyes for a moment. “And before we give thanks for Mousewhisker's life, there are some of his living Clanmates who deserve our recognition.”

     Blazeheart's ears flicked forward in interest. Beside him, Ambertalon murmured, “What is he talking about?”

     Bramblestar continued, “There are two cats who risked themselves yesterday to save their mother.” Blazeheart looked back at Bumblestripe in his kits, who were wide-eyed in surprise. “Ripplekit and Skykit attacked the rogue who hurt their mother. If it was not for them, our warriors would not have been able to reach her in time. They saved Dovewing's life.” Joy managed to shine in the kit's eyes for a moment, to be recognized in front of all of the Clan.

     “Ripplekit! Skykit!” Blazeheart and a few other cats began the chat to acknowledge his Clanmates. But to his surprise, Bramblestar waved his tail for silence. “Ripplekit, Skykit, step forward!” the leader rumbled.

     Blazeheart stiffened in surprise. Bramblestar was making them apprentices already? They weren't six moons yet! As he looked back at Bumblestripe, he could see the father's surprise, but after a moment, the tom dipped his head. Ripplekit and Skykit seemed stunned. Even as their Clanmates murmured their surprise, the kits made their way through the crowd, coming to stand before the High Ledge. Bramblestar leaped down to stand before them.

     “Aren't they too young?” Blazeheart murmured to Ambertalon. “They're just over five moons old.”

     Ambertalon whispered back, “Normally, yeah. But it's not that early. And with all the rogues, I think he wants them to be trained to defend themselves, in case the rogues attack again.” A cold shiver ran down the tabby's spine at her words.

     Bramblestar looked down on Skykit first. The thin-pelted gray tom looked up at Bramblestar with golden eyes flickering between joyful and grieving. The dark stripe running down his back was visible as the young tom flicked his tail anxiously. “From this moment on, until he has earned his warrior name, this cat will be known as Skypaw,” Bramblestar announced. Skypaw stood before his leader, tail waving slowly behind him in a nervous rhythm.

     The leader looked out into the crowd. “Molefoot,” he called. The fluffy cream-and-brown tom started in surprise, then rose to his paws, padding through the crowd until he reached his leader and new apprentice. “You have lived through much of ThunderClan's hardest times. You and your sister delivered messages during the Dark Battle, and you found the herbs to cure our greencough after the death of your sister.” Molefoot's eyes flashed with grief for a moment. “Through all of that pain, you have become a wise and patient warrior, and you will make a fine mentor for Skypaw.” The warrior dipped his head to his leader. He reached his muzzle forward, touching noses with Skypaw. Skypaw looked anxious for a moment, but a few murmured words from Molefoot made his expression relax.

     Bramblestar turned next to Ripplekit. The tabby tom looked a bit more excited than his brother, his tabby pelt fluffed out as he stared up at Bramblestar. “From this moment on, until he has earned his warrior name, this cat will be known as Ripplepaw,” he called out. Blazeheart stiffened in surprise as the leader's gaze drifted towards his part of the crowd. “Ambertalon,” the leader called.

     Beside him, Ambertalon drew herself up, pride shining in her eyes. Blazeheart bumped his muzzle against her cheek, purring softly, “Go on.” She turned to him, giving him a short, warm blink, before getting up and trotting off towards the High Ledge.

     As Ambertalon approached, Bramblestar rumbled, “Ambertalon, though you are young, your ferocity in battle and your will to defend your Clan make you an exceptional warrior. It is this courage, and undeniable loyalty, that has earned the respect of your Clanmates. You will make you a fitting mentor for Ripplepaw.”

     Ripplepaw's blue eyes shone with fierce joy as he gazed up at his new mentor. Ambertalon was trying to look composed, but Blazeheart could see the excitement she was holding back, the way her eyes blazed with pride. Ambertalon leaned forward to touch noses with her new apprentice, Ripplepaw lifting his muzzle to meet her.

     “Skypaw! Ripplepaw! Skypaw! Ripplepaw!” The Clan's voices called out clear and strong as they cheered for the new apprentices. Blazeheart and Silentstorm added their yowls to the noise, cheering as loudly as they could in celebration, putting aside their grief for one moment to celebrate moving forward.

     As the cries died down, Bramblestar waved his tail dismissively to the cats before him. Ambertalon and Molefoot led their new apprentices back into the crowd. Blazeheart shifted over so Ambertalon could sit beside him again, Ripplepaw on her other side. “Ripplepaw and Skypaw are not the only cats who deserve our recognition today,” Bramblestar called to the Clan. “Two of our apprentices took great initiative yesterday. If they hadn't sent Finchpaw to warn us, and hadn't chosen to stay behind and keep the rogues distracted on their own, we wouldn't have had the warning we did before the attack. We could have lost many more cats if it hadn't been for the bravery of these apprentices.” He lifted his chin. “Lightpaw and Sparkpaw, step forward.”

     Blazeheart glanced towards the back of the crowd, where Lightpaw and Sparkpaw sat. The toms both stiffened in shock, their grief set aside for a moment as joy blazed in their eyes. Slowly, they got to their paws, the crowd parting to let them pad up to their leader. Blazeheart watched their approach with a purr. They were young as well, but had more than proved themselves as loyal and brave members of ThunderClan. He was glad to see them earning their names at last.

     Bramblestar looked down at the toms, pride shining in his eyes. “I, Bramblestar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down upon these apprentices,” he announced. “They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn.”

     He looked at each cat in turn. “Sparkpaw, Lightpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code, and to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?”

     Sparkpaw's expression was determined, his joy tempered by solemnity. Blazeheart could tell he was trying to make his oath as sincere as he could. “I do,” he promised, sounding more serious than Blazeheart had ever heard him.

     “I do,” Lightpaw said clearly. The tom was one of the shyest cats in ThunderClan, but Blazeheart saw only joy in his eyes, none of the nervous uncertainty he usually saw.

     “Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior names,” Bramblestar said. “Sparkpaw, from this moment on, you will be known as Sparktail. StarClan honors your loyalty and your honesty, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan.” Sparktail's eyes shone with a fierce pride as he was newly named. He dipped his head, Bramblestar resting his chin on the new warrior's head.

     As he pulled back, Bramblestar turned next to Lightpaw. “Lightpaw, from this moment on, you will be known as Lightfoot. StarClan honors your patience and your courage, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan.” Blazeheart could see Lightfoot trembling with joy from where he sat. The new warrior lowered his head as well, licking Bramblestar's shoulder fur as the leader rested his chin on his head.

     “Sparktail! Lightfoot! Sparktail! Lightfoot!” All around the clearing, cats called out and cheered for ThunderClan's newest warriors. Sparktail and Lightfoot turned to face their Clanmates, raising their heads and tails proudly as they accepted their new names. “Sparktail! Lightfoot!” Blazeheart cried out, Silentstorm and Ambertalon echoing him as he cheered for his new denmates. Ripplepaw cheered too, from his spot beside Ambertalon. Lightfoot almost started to lower his head, looking alarmed at all the attention. But after a moment, he deliberately lifted his chin, taking in the pride and love of his Clanmates.

     As the cheering began to die down, however, Blazeheart began to feel uneasy again. All of this celebration was coming on the heel of destruction, and that destruction would come again if they didn't do what Breeze said. He lowered his head, trying to fight a rising wave of despair. Would ThunderClan stand a chance if the rogues attacked again?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...I can explain.
> 
> For those of you wondering why both of these sets of cats were promoted one moon too early, it's for a number of reasons. First, the reasons Bramblestar listed. Lightfoot and Sparktail taking the initiative to send Finchpaw to warn the Clan, and staying behind to distract an entire rogue patrol on their own, just so the Clan would have enough warning to prepare to meet the attack. Ripplekit and Skykit attacking the rogue killing their mother, despite having no training and risking their lives to save her.
> 
> I do have my own reasons outside of their actions, however. Let's just say that with how timelines and time skipping is going to work in the near future, I recently realized that this would be my only chance to show their ceremonies on-screen. So, I decided it made more sense to just promote them a little early than to have them be promoted off-screen.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you like Ripplepaw and Skypaw's new mentors, and Lightfoot and Sparktail's names. Lightfoot is named after his white front legs, and Sparktail is named for how his tail is very scruffy with strands and clumps sticking out, sort of like sparks leaping off a fire (I hope that analogy makes sense... it makes sense in my head, but I don't know if I'm explaining it right.) Anyway, they're finally warriors, so yay. ^^
> 
> Also, apologies for those who expressed their wish for Mousewhisker not to die. At least he's with StarClan now, led there by Honeyfern, as they were friends as apprentices/warriors, and he really doesn't have much else in the way of family to lead him to StarClan, other than Cherrypaw.
> 
> Next chapter will also be in Blazeheart's POV. Only six chapters left to go, with some possible bonus chapters, then I will officially be halfway done with Echoes of the War. :D I can't wait to start Book Four.


	23. Chapter Twenty One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ThunderClan has visitors

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 3: Waning Moon  
Chapter Twenty One

     Blazeheart sat beside the fallen beech, trying to ignore the hunger pangs that clawed at his gut. Four days had passed since the rogues' attack. Since then, Clan life had moved forward, to an extent. Lightfoot and Sparktail were taking on full warrior responsibilities now, and Ambertalon and Molefoot were hard at work training their new apprentices. Blazeheart and Ambertalon had taken Ripplepaw on his first tour of the territory the other day, and the tom had already caught his first mouse. And yet, Blazeheart couldn't forget the dread in his heart.

     His ears perked forward as Squirrelflight approached him. The deputy looked haggard, patches of fur missing from the recent battle, her fluffy pelt barely hiding how thin she was. “Blazeheart, can you take Jayfeather some prey?” she asked wearily. “I don't think he's had anything to eat all day, and I have to look after den repairs.”

     “Yes, Squirrelflight,” Blazeheart agreed easily. He stood, padding towards the fresh-kill pile. Only a few scrawny voles, mice, and a half-frozen robin were left; most cats had taken their meals for the morning, and the hunting patrols hadn't come back yet. Blazeheart grasped the robin between his teeth, carrying it towards the medince den. 

     Jayfeather was hunched over Dovewing when Blazeheart entered the den. If Squirrelflight had looked haggard, Jayfeather looked far worse. His eyes were glazed over with exhaustion, his back hunched miserably and his pelt clinging to his bones. Blazeheart halted in shock. He had barely seen the medicine cat since the battle, and hadn't realized how badly-off the tom had become. He had never seen Jayfeather looking this badly before.

     He wasn't alone in the den. Bumblestripe was crouched a few tail-lengths away, sorting out moss with one paw Blazeheart watched as his old mentor took a bundle of soaked moss and pressed it to Dovewing's forehead, murmuring to his mate. Ivypool was lying beside Dovewing – for a moment, Blazeheart was afraid that she was somehow injured too, until he realized that she was asleep.

     “She stayed here all night.” Blazeheart nearly jumped at Jayfeather's voice. The medicine cat answered Blazeheart's thoughts without looking up. “She refused to leave Dovewing's side.”

     Blazeheart dropped the robin. “How is she?” he asked softly.

     Dovewing shifted briefly after he spoke. The she-cat was still unconcious, giving a small groan. As she did, Blazeheart could see the terrible gash on her throat. He shuddered, looking away.

     Jayfeather grunted, “The same.” His tail lashed, a low growl rumbling in his throat. Bumblestripe looked up from his task, glancing fearfully at Jayfeather. The medicine cat turned away, growling, “I'm very busy, so what do you want?”

     “Squirrelflight sent me,” Blazeheart told him. He scooped up the robin again, carrying it towards Jayfeather and setting it down before him. “She wanted to make sure you ate something.”

     The scrawny tom lowered his muzzle to sniff the robin, then curled his lip. “Don't you have better things to do than harrass me?” Jayfeather growled, arching his skinny back. “I'll eat when I have time. I have to look after Dovewing.”

     Blazeheart narrowed his eyes. The tom didn't have Silentstorm's way with the stubborn medicine cat, but he had grown up with the tom looking after him as well. He knew a thing or two about how to deal with him. “Mousedung,” he snorted. “You need to eat, Jayfeather. You look like you haven't eaten since the battle.”

     A snarl rattled in Jayfeather's throat. “Think you can tell me what to do, do you?” he hissed. As his voice rose, Ivypool shifted in her sleep, letting out a groan.

     “No, but Squirrelflight can,” Blazeheart pointed out. “She sent me instead because she's busy looking after the Clan. Do you really want me to drag her away from her job to come in here and tell you herself?”

     Jayfeather paused, hesitating. He seemed to be taking the threat of an annoyed Squirrelflight seriously. As he hesitated, Bumblestripe spoke up. “Just eat the stupid robin, Jayfeather,” he rasped. Blazeheart was shocked by the exhaustion in his old mentor's face. “You won't do Dovewing any good if you're passed out from not eating enough.”

     The medicine cat hesitated a moment longer. Finally, his hunger seemed to hit him. He practically attacked the robin, devouring the scrawny bird in a few bites. Blazeheart watched the bird disappear in moments, Jayfeather sitting up a few moments later, swiping his tongue over his jaws. A single feather stuck to the bottom of his jaw. “Thanks,” he mewed, sounding genuinly grateful. “I guess I needed that.”

     “You're welcome,” Blazeheart purred. He let the medicine cat return to his work, padding over to Bumblestripe. “Have you eaten?” he asked the fluffy tabby.

     Bumblestripe nodded. “I shared a thrush with Ivypool before she fell asleep,” he assured Blazeheart. “I'll get something later tonight.” He bumped his muzzle against Blazeheart's ear, mewing to his old apprentice, “I'll be alright.”

     Blazeheart sobered. “I'm so sorry,” he murmured. “I can't imagine.” He glanced down at Dovewing. The she-cat's eyes were closed, jaws parted a little with drool trickling from the side. He could barely see the rise and fall of her sides.

     The older cat shook his head, determination glittering in his eyes. “Don't be sorry. She'll be alright. She has to be.” Bumblestripe turned his gaze down to Blazeheart. The young warrior was shocked by the sheer intensity of love in Bumblestripe's eyes as he looked at Dovewing. “Dovewing is the strongest cat I've ever known. She'll get through this. I know she will.”

     Blazeheart watched his mentor's expression uncertainly. He had seen Bumblestripe look at his mate before, but he had never realized how adoring he was when he gazed at her. It was like he was looking at his whole world. Was that what it was to be in love? Was that how he felt about Ambertalon? When his thoughts turned to the she-cat, he felt a strong surge of warmth. He wasn't sure that what he felt was as strong as the love he was seeing now. But then, he wasn't sure it had to be just yet.

     And yet, he felt like that day might happen, when he could feel for her that way.

     “Bramblestar!” Blazeheart's ears flicked forward at a call from outside the den. Exchanging a brief glance with Bumblestripe, Blazeheart got to his paws, padding out of the den and into the hollow.

     The tom halted in shock, eyes widening at the scene that awaited him. Cats were starting to come out of their dens, gazing in surprise at the camp's entrance. A patrol had returned, Ambertalon, Snowfall, and Molefoot leading their apprentices back into camp from the forest. But they weren't alone. Ashstar, Tigerstar, and Mistystar followed them, a few of their warriors following them.

     Blazeheart gaped. He had never thought he would see all three of the enemy leaders in ThunderClan's camp. His Clanmates seemed shocked as well. They didn't move as all three leaders padded further into camp, looking up towards the High Ledge.

     Slowly, Bramblestar padded out of his den. He stiffened, his pelt fluffing up in shock as he saw all of his fellow leaders in his camp. But his voice stayed even as he mewed, “Greetings. What brings all of you here?”

     Ashstar took a step forward. “We came to talk with you,” Ashstar rasped. “May we speak in your den?”

     Bramblestar hesitated. “Bring one warrior for each of you,” he said finally. The leader scanned the crowd briefly, gaze falling on the medicine den. “Blazeheart, Squirrelflight, come up here.”

     Blazeheart's ears flicked forward. He left the medicine den behind, bounding across the snowy camp to reach the High Ledge. Squirrelflight reached the base behind him as he was climbing, the tabby reaching the top before she did. Blazeheart reached down as Squirrelflight was climbing, grasping the deputy's scruff in his jaws and helping pull her up to the top. Once she was settled on the top, she gave him a grateful blink, the tom returning with a respectful nod.

     In the camp below, cats were staring up at the High Ledge, clearly curious. Some cats were starting to get back to their jobs. Blazeheart saw Berrynose, Poppyfrost, and Lionblaze heading out of camp for a patrol, and Blossomfall slipping back into the nursery. Hazeltail was heading towards the medicine den, casting a few curious glances up towards the High Ledge as she did. Blazeheart cast an uncertain glance down towards his Clan, then looked back at Squirrelflight beside him. Together, the started into the den.

     Blazeheart was still shocked to see all four leaders together in Bramblestar's den. Tigerstar sat across from Bramblestar, almost looking like his reflection. Oddtail sat beside him, Emberfoot on her other side sitting next to Ashstar. Silvershine was settled next to Mistystar. Squirrelflight and Blazeheart crossed the den, coming to sit on either side of their leader.

     Tigerstar wasted no time. “We heard what happened to Dovewing,” the ShadowClan leader rasped. Fear shone in the leader's eyes. “How is she?”

     Bramblestar stiffened, glaring at Tigerstar. Blazeheart's ears flicked back in surprise; it seemed Tigerstar hadn't completely gained the skill of tact. “She's alive,” Bramblestar told him stiffly. “Jayfeather is looking after her.” Suspicion shone in the leader's eyes. “How did you know she was hurt?”

     It was Mistystar who answered. “It was Jayfeather.” She flicked her tail. “When he wasn't at the Moonpool, he visited our medicine cats in their dreams and told them about the attack.”

     Bramblestar's gaze hardened. Blazeheart had a feeling he would have stern words with the medicine cat later. “I see,” he grumbled. “Very well. But why has this news brought three leaders to my camp?”

     “Because yours was the only camp attacked,” Ashstar told him. Bramblestar stiffened in surprise. “On the half moon, the rogues only left slaughtered prey in our territories. But he attacked ThunderClan's camp. You must know why.”

     Bramblestar watched the she-cat carefully for a moment, before lowering his chin. “They were targeting the Three,” he admitted. “They went straight for Dovewing; they wanted to kill her so she couldn't spy on them.”

     “What about Lionblaze?” Silvershine asked. “Why didn't he stop them?” Blazeheart was surprised how much the she-cat seemed to believe in his father's abilities. But then, she was young; she would have grown up with stories about the invincible Three.

     The ThunderClan leader shook his head grimly. “He couldn't fight them,” he explained reluctantly. “They kept him surrounded, so he couldn't reach his Clanmates.”

     Tigerstar stiffened, eyes flashing in anger. “It's Breeze,” he growled. The other leaders looked at him in surprise. He explained, “Tigerstar, the other one, that's what he taught us. Separate the strong warriors from the weak so that they can't defend them. He must have taught his followers how to use that to keep Lionblaze from being able to fight. If they're not fighting him, he can't use his powers.” Blazeheart felt a chill at the mention of the Dark Forest's teachings.

     Bramblestar nodded slowly, mewing, “I believe you're right. My father always said that the best way to weaken an enemy was to separate the weak from the strong.” His gaze darkened. Blazeheart almost didn't hear him murmur, “I can't believe I once trained with him.” Squirrelflight glanced at her mate, brushing her tail briefly over his in a comforting gesture.

     The deputy looked away from her mate, narrowing her eyes at the other leaders. “Why have you come here?” she asked. “Your camps were not attacked, this is ThunderClan's business.”

     “This is every Clan's business,” Ashstar growled, eyes flashing. “The Three are the most powerful cats in any Clan. In a battle like this, when they are threatened, it threatens us all.” Squirrelflight watched Ashstar for a moment before dipping her head, acknowledging her point. “If Breeze has decided to take out the Three, he is taking the most powerful protection StarClan has given us. We have to stop him.”

     Bramblestar flicked his tail. “And what do you propose to do that?” he asked.

     Ashstar rose onto her paws. Blazeheart was shocked to see how thin the WindClan leader had become. Her face was gaunt, her muzzle shot through with white and silver, face lined with age. But her eyes blazed with the strength of a cat half her age. “We have to join together,” she declared in a strong tone. “Don't you see, Bramblestar? If the rogues can almost kill a cat with more power than StarClan, then one Clan on its own will never defeat him. Our _only_ chance to survive is for all four Clans to fight as one.”

     “Tigerstar and I have decided to ally with WindClan,” Mistystar told Bramblestar. “But we need ThunderClan too.”

     Blazeheart turned to glance at his leader, tail-tip flicking anxiously. He knew Ashstar was right; the only way to protect their home was for the four Clans to stand together. But the grim set to Bramblestar's expression concerned him. “You may be right, Ashstar,” he murmured. “In fact, I think you probably are. But I'm still unsure.”

     The tom's amber gaze turned on Tigerstar, suddenly turning hard. Blazeheart was surprised by the sudden intensity in Bramblestar's glare. “How do I know I can trust you?” he growled, hackles beginning to rise. Tigerstar flinched back from Bramblestar's anger, eyes flashing with surprise. “Only a moon ago, you tried to steal my kits.”

     Tigerstar winced, shame in his eyes. He dipped his head to the other leader, mewing, “You're right. And I'm sorry, I was wrong to do it. I was a fool.” Tigerstar lifted his head, looking imploringly at Bramblestar. “I know you have no reason to trust me. But neither of our Clans will survive this battle if we fight alone. All I can give you is my promise that I will fight for your Clanmates as fiercely as I will fight for my own.” Something flickered in his eyes for a moment, something almost sad that Blazeheart couldn't read. Then, determination took over again. “All of them.”

     Bramblestar's pelt was still fluffed up, his eyes narrowed as he considered the younger leader. Tigerstar kept his pelt smoothed, watching Bramblestar calmly. Finally, Bramblestar sighed, his hackles lowering. “I don't know if I can trust you yet,” he said finally. “But protecting my Clan is more important.” He lifted his chin, growling, “ThunderClan will fight with you.”

     Blazeheart could see the visible relief from the other leaders. Ashstar seemed to sag, leaning against Emberfoot's shoulder, while Mistystar and Tigerstar glanced at each other with clear relief. “Thank you, Bramblestar,” Ashstar rasped. There was a grateful gleam in the elderly she-cat's eyes. “Together, our Clans can defeat Breeze. I know it.”

     Mistystar looked at the other leaders. “The Gathering is in three days. Breeze will be there; he'll want to hear our answer.”

     “Then we'll face him together,” Bramblestar growled. “When the Gathering comes, we will give Breeze our answer together.”

     Tigerstar added in a low growl, “And if he attacks, we'll fight together.”

     The leaders murmured their agreement. For the first time since Mousewhisker's death, Blazeheart began to feel some hope. No matter what came next, the Clans would stand together.

     As the meeting began to break up, the leaders and their escorts began heading out of the den. Blazeheart stepped out beside Squirrelflight, blinking as bright sunlight greeted him. As he leaped down off of the High Ledge, he began to hear something. Voices were coming from the medicine den, starting out low, but quickly building in volume. He could hear two cats snarling at each other, and judging by the curious glances of his Clanmates towards the medicine den, so could they.

     Finally, after a final yowl, things fell silent. For several moments, nothing happened. Then, Hazeltail stepped out of the den. The she-cat's pelt was fluffed out, her tail lashing with anger. She stared around the clearing, glaring at her Clanmates for a moment. Then, very deliberately, she began padding towards the nursery.

     Blazeheart stared in shock as Hazeltail stalked to the nursery, disappearing into the den. Was Hazeltail expecting more kits?

     All around the hollow, cats were whispering to each other, voices raising in shock. Squirrelflight looked alarmed too, Bramblestar blinking in surprise. Only the other leaders didn't look surprised. “A new queen for ThunderClan, then?” Mistystar asked, looking mildly interested.

     Bramblestar blinked. “Yes, I suppose so,” he said.

     Blazeheart was still reeling in surprise. Hazeltail hadn't told any cat she was expecting kits. Had she known? Had Foxleap known? Pain clutched at his heart as he thought of Foxleap. The russet tom would never be able to be a father to these kits. Hazeltail would have to raise them alone.

     As the leaders were starting to leave, three cats raced out of the nursery, running towards Squirrelflight and Bramblestar. “Hazeltail's in the nursery!” Sunnykit informed their parents. “She said Jayfeather told her she had to make a nest there now.”

     “She didn't seem very happy about it,” Shadowkit added. “She said he called her stubborn for fighting in the battle the other day.”

     The WindClan and RiverClan cats looked at the kits with amusement, and Oddtail purred at their enthusiasm. But Tigerstar stiffened, looking at the kits with a mixture of fear and shame.

     Redkit noticed the other cats. “Who are you?” she asked the WindClan and RiverClan cats. She stiffened as her gaze fell on Tigerstar. Her eyes widened. “You!” She crouched, arching her back and baring her fangs. “You're the cat who tried to steal Shadowkit!”

     Sunnykit whirled around, snarling at Tigerstar as well. Shadowkit seemed to hesitate more, taking a step back, eyes wide. Tigerstar winced at his sister's reaction, shame flashing in his eyes.

     “Kits, it's alright,” Bramblestar rumbled. The she-cats paused in their snarls, looking up at their father. “Tigerstar is our ally now. He's going to help us fight against the rogues.”

     Sunnykit looked back at Tigerstar, eyes wide. “Really?”

     Tigerstar nodded. “He's right.” The massive tabby hesitated, then lowered himself to the kits' level, expression soft. “I was very wrong to try and take you from ThunderClan. I see that now, but before I was angry and confused. I'm truly sorry.”

     Redkit still looked suspicious, but Sunnykit seemed to brighten. “It's okay,” she purred, butting her head against Tigerstar's muzzle. The leader blinked, seeming surprised by the gesture. “Squirrelflight said you just wanted us to be happy, but we're happy in ThunderClan, so you don't have to take us anymore.”

     Shadowkit hesitated a moment, before approaching his older brother. As he touched his nose to Tigerstar's, Blazeheart was struck by just how much Shadowkit resembled the ShadowClan leader. “I forgive you,” the tom mewed softly.

     “And now that you're our ally, maybe we can get to know you better!” Sunnykit added brightly. “You're our brother, after all.”

     Tigerstar's expression softened. “I'd like that,” he told Sunnykit. “And I'm glad you're happy here.” He looked up at Bramblestar, mewing, “Bramblestar and Squirrelflight have taken very good care of you.” Blazeheart knew he wasn't mistaking the grateful gleam in Tigerstar's eyes. Bramblestar said nothing, but gave a small nod in reply.

     The kits finished greeting the leader, then Tigerstar rose. He rejoined the other leaders and their escorts, turning back only once to face Bramblestar. “Are you ready for the Gathering?” he asked solemnly.

     Bramblestar dipped his head to the other leaders. “ThunderClan will be there,” he assured Tigerstar. “We will stand against Breeze together.”

     Tigerstar dipped his head to the older leader. One by one, the other leaders slipped out of the bramble entrance. Then, they were gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, another chapter done. :) Almost done with Waning Moon! And I'm starting the planning phase for the next book, so that's fun.
> 
> So, the Clans are finally united, and it's time to finally face Breeze and tell him their answer. We're really starting towards the end here. There should be five chapters left, but I'm increasingly getting the feeling that the last two chapters are going to be too short to have their own chapters and might get combined into one chapter, so there may only be four left.
> 
> And yes, Hazeltail is expecting Foxleap's kits. She found out very shortly before his death, when Jayfeather examined her and told her, and the only cat she told was Foxleap. He was overjoyed to be a father again, but died before the couple could tell any other cat, even Finchpaw. Hazeltail was grieving and didn't feel like any cat cooing over her or giving her even more pity, and didn't want to be confined to camp where she couldn't get away from her memories of Foxleap and Petalkit. So she continued her warrior duties as long as she could. After risking herself in the battle with Breeze's rogues, Jayfeather finally told her she /had/ to move into the nursery, so now she has.
> 
> I can't think of anything else I wanted to say, so I'l see you next chapter, which will be in Silentstorm's POV.


	24. Chapter Twenty Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time for another Gathering

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 3: Waning Moon  
Chapter Twenty Two

     “Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the High Ledge for a Clan meeting!”

     Bramblestar hadn't needed to call for the meeting this time. Every cat was already gathered outside the High Ledge, waiting for their leader's announcement in tense silence. Silentstorm sat among her Clanmates, ears strained towards the High Ledge.

     It was the night of the full moon once again. A full moon had passed since the last Gathering, and Breeze's threats, and now it was time once again for ThunderClan to attend the Gathering. Every cat was waiting to see who Bramblestar would bring to this especially important Gathering.

     The tom was currently atop the High Ledge, looking down at his Clanmates. “Squirrelflight will stay behind to look after camp,” he announced. Silentstorm's ears flicked back in surprise. Bramblestar wasn't taking his deputy into possible battle? Either he wanted the camp well-protected in case the rogues attacked those left behind – or he was afraid the Gathering battle would be lost, and wanted to leave ThunderClan with a leader in case he was lost.

     To Silentstorm's surprise, the fiesty deputy didn't protest. She was sitting near the nursery, her kits gathered near her. Silentstorm would've expected Squirrelflight to insist on accompanying her mate into battle, but she seemed accepting of his order. They must have discussed this beforehand.

     Bramblestar began announcing cats on the Gathering patrol. Silentstorm listened with growing interst. It seemed like Bramblestar was bringing almost all of the strongest warriors with him. Ripplepaw and Skypaw were staying, Molefoot with them, but Snowfall and Finchpaw were coming. Ivypool was coming too, and Lionblaze, but Birchfall and Bumblestripe were staying.

     “Silentstorm and Blazeheart.” The she-cat relaxed as her name was called. While she respected her leader's decisions, she had wanted very much to go to this Gathering. If her Clan was going to fight, she wanted to fight beside them. Especially considering she was the only cat with a notion of the true danger they were facing.

     By the time Bramblestar was done, it seemed like most of the Clan was attending the Gathering. With a sinking heart, Silentstorm realized just enough strong, capable warriors were being left behind to defend the elders and kits in camp. No elders were being brought to the Gathering, or queens, and Finchpaw was the only apprentice attending. Bramblestar had brought every capable warrior that he could for the fight ahead.

     Bramblestar leaped down from the High Ledge, waving his tail commandingly. The Gathering patrol began following him as he led them out of camp. As they came out into the forest, Silentstorm heard cats murmuring to each other. She could hear Snowfall reciting fighting techniques wth Finchpaw, Lilyfrost and Seedlight huddled together and speaking in low voices, Ivypool and Birchfall recounting old Dark Forest battle sessions. It seemed every cat was preparing for the battle ahead.

     “Hey.” Blazeheart and Ambertalon came to walk beside her, their pawsteps muffled by the snow. “Are you ready for this?” her brother asked grimly.

     Silentstorm shrugged. “As ready as I can be,” she murmured. Blazeheart flicked an ear towards her in acknowledgement.

     Ever since the battle, Silentstorm had lost whatever feeling of hope she'd had. She had believed the invincible Three, the heros she had heard stories about ever since she was a kit, would stand against the danger and emerge triumphant. But she should have known better. And now Dovewing was on the verge of death, Jayfeather was working himself into exhaustion trying to keep her alive, and Lionblaze had been unable to break through the barrier of rogues keeping him from protecting his Clanmates. The Three had failed, and now, Silentstorm knew she could not rely on the powers of the Three to defeat Shade.

     She had chosen not to tell Lionblaze or Jayfeather about Shade. If she told them about the dangerous creature, they would try to take her on themselves. And now, she knew that they could lose. It was too dangerous. If anything was going to be done about Shade, she would do it on her own.

     Ambertalon's voice shook Silentstorm from her thoughts. “I hope Ripplepaw and Skypaw are alright back in camp. I know Ripplepaw wanted to help us fight Breeze, but he's only been training three days. If the camp is attacked...” She trailed off, shaking her head.

     “There's still warriors in camp,” Blazeheart assured her. The two cats were practically walking pelt to pelt, tails brushing together. “And it's not like the queens and elders are helpless. Your parents still have a few good fights left in them.”

     That managed to get a _mrowrr_ of laughter from Ambertalon. “They'd give those rogues a clawing they'd never forget,” she laughed, tail lashing once. “Sorreltail and Spiderleg might be stiff in the joints, but they can still put up a good fight, and even as old as Millie is, she can still lift a claw.”

     Blazeheart added, “Not to mention the queens. Hazeltail and Blossomfall are expecting, but they can still fight like warriors. And Squirrelflight can fight like TigerClan.”

     “It doesn't matter.” Both cats turned to look at Silentstorm. She was walking with her head down, her voice dull. “If the rogues attack the camp, there will be too many of them for our Clanmates to stand a chance. They'll be killed.”

     Ambertalon shook her head, saying, “Squirrelflight wouldn't let that happen. She'd retreat and take the elders and kits away before she would let them be killed.” Her tone grew grim. “If something happens to us, the Clan will survive through them.”

     Blazeheart nodded beside her, but Silentstorm couldn't share their optimism. If Breeze decided to attack, with Shade at his side, he would be unstoppable. She had little hope for the Gathering ahead, or for the cats left behind in camp.

     As they continued to walk, she heard Ambertalon and Blazeheart murmuring to each other, advising each other for the fight ahead. For the first time since Mousewhisker died, Silentstorm felt a flicker of amusement. Her brother and Ambertalon had been inseparable since the battle, always hunting together, or sharing prey, or brushing pelts. She had suspected her brother felt something for Ambertalon, and was pleased to see that Ambertalon apparently felt the same. At least something was going right in her brother's life, even if it felt like her own was taking a painful nosedive.

     The patrol passed out of ThunderClan's forest, Silentstorm caught a scent on the breeze. She flicked her ears forward, calling out to the rest of the patrol, “WindClan cats nearby.”

     Bramblestar stiffened, ears flicking towards the scent. A few moments later, Silentstorm heard nearby pawsteps, and the called-out greeting of Ashstar. “Greetings, ThunderClan.” The WindClan patrol joined the ThunderClan patrol, the skinny moor hunters weaving among Silentstorm's Clanmates.

     “Greetings, Ashstar,” Bramblestar said. Silentstorm noticed how his tone was friendlier now that their Clans were allies. “Ready for the Gathering?”

     Ashstar gave a low growl. “More than ready,” she growled, lashing her tail. “Come, let's walk together. Our Clans will be stronger together on the way to the island.”

     Bramblestar gave a small nod of assent. The Clans started off again, WindClan and ThunderClan walking together across the moor towards RiverClan's territory. Ashstar and Bramblestar walked together, the stronger ThunderClan leader carefully matching the elderly Ashstar's pace. Some cats were walking together peacefully, Crouchfoot and Seedlight talking as they walked together, and Emberfoot sharing news with Cinderheart.

     But many cats seemed tense. Leafpool and Crowfeather had positioned themselves as far away from each other as possible, and she noticed her father tensing up a few fox-lengths ahead of her as Heathertail passed near him. She listened with interest, once again wondering what had happened between her father and Darkbreeze's mother to make him react this way to her.

     “Silentstorm.” The familiar mew distracted her from her thoughts. Silentstorm turned her head as Darkbreeze approached her. Darkbreeze butted her head against Silentstorm's neck in greeting, her tone more subdued than usual. “How's the prey running?”

     Silentstorm shrugged. “As well as it can in leafbare,” she mewed.

     “Who are you?” Ambertalon's voice sounded nearby. Silentstorm had forgotten her brother and Ambertalon were walking beside her, and that she was exchanging a very familiar greeting with the WindClan cat in front of her Clanmates.

     “I'm Darkbreeze,” the WindClan warrior mewed. Her tone was still subdued, but she managed to summon some of her usual cheer to greet Ambertalon.

     Silentstorm explained, “We've met at Gatherings. She's a friend of mine.”

     Ambertalon's ears flicked forward, sounding surprised as she mewed bluntly, “I know that name. You're Breeze's daughter, aren't you?”

     Darkbreeze flinched. “Yeah,” she muttered. “But I'm not like him.”

     “Didn't assume you were,” Ambertalon mewed with a shrug. “My Clan is led by the son of Tigerstar, and I'm the kit of a former kittypet. Doesn't mean a thing about me, or Bramblestar, or you.” She gave a rusty purr of amusement. “As long as you're out there fighting with us today to tear his throat out, I think I can call you a friend.”

     Silentstorm's friend laughed, sounder cheerier already. “Count on it,” she told Ambertalon. “I'd rather rip his tail off than let him hurt my Clan.”

     Ambertalon gave an approving nod, purring in amusement. As they walked along together, Blazeheart asked, “Where is Nightfern? I don't see her with your patrol.”

     “Her kits were born a few days before the half moon,” Darkbreeze told him. “She's staying behind in camp with them. Wetwhisker stayed with her, and Weaselfur and a few others.”

     “Congratulations to her,” Ambertalon purred. “After everything that's happened, the Clans could do with new warriors.”

     Darkbreeze grew somber. “That reminds me. I heard what happened with Mousewhisker, and Dovewing.” Ambertalon stiffened, Silentstorm's ears drooping. Darkbreeze turned to her friend, murmuring, “I'm really sorry.”

     Silentstorm shrugged. “It's alright,” she mewed, feeling how hollow her own words were.

     “How is Dovewing doing?” Darkbreeze asked gently.

     Ambertalon and Blazeheart shared a glance. Finally, Blazeheart answered carefully, “As well as can be expected. Jayfeather's looking after her, and she's doing better.” Silentstorm knew he was trying to keep from revealing ThunderClan's weakness, but she very much doubted his assessment. Unless the definition of “better” had been stretched to include “hasn't died,” she didn't know that Dovewing was doing better at all.

     If Darkbreeze suspected Blazeheart wasn't telling the whole truth, she didn't say anything. All she said was, “I hope she gets better soon. If any cat can save her, it's Jayfeather.” She looked up, her mew growing more grim. “But that's not going to matter unless we make it through the Gathering with our pelts in one piece.”

     The other cats nodded, falling into tense silence once again. As they walked along, Blazeheart stayed by Silentstorm's flank, guiding her along the unfamiliar moorland with little nudges with his muzzle, while Darkbreeze walked in front and just a little to the side of her, her tail-tip bumping lightly against Silentstorm's shoulder to guide her forward. With the help of her brother and her best friend, Silentstorm had no problem navigating the land under her paws.

     The WindClan and ThunderClan patrols finally reached the edge of WindClan's territory. They crossed over the border into RiverClan's land, and Silentstorm began to feel more comfortable. Even though the land this close to the lake had mostly been underwater when she'd lived in RiverClan, there was a familiarity to RiverClan's territory that neither ShadowClan's pine forest or WindClan's open moors held for her.

     It didn't take long for them to reach the pebble-bridge. The cats began to cross, Bramblestar hanging back with Ashstar as their warriors crossed together. Blazeheart crossed first, Ambertalon scampering after him, while Silentstorm crossed more slowly. Darkbreeze followed after them, tail waving behind her as she rejoined her friend on the island. Silentstorm touched her nose to Darkbreeze's ear in greeting once the WindClan cat stood beside her on the island's shore.

     Once all the warriors stood on the lake, the leaders began to cross. Ashstar began striding across the pebble bridge, her stiff limbs making her slow. For one terrifying moment, Silentstorm heard paws slipping against the slick stones, and a gasp from Ashstar. She stiffened, fearing the leader would fall. But Ashstar managed to right herself, padding the rest of the length of the bridge until she reached the other side. Bramblestar crossed more quickly behind her, reaching the island in a few bounds.

     As the WindClan and ThunderClan warriors moved further into the island, Silentstorm heard soft voices, and the acrid scent of pine forests. ShadowClan was already on the island. She wove through the warriors, Darkbreeze and the other sticking by her side, as she searched for a familiar scent.

     “Silentstorm, Darkbreeze.” She turned around, ears flicked towards Specklefoot as the ShadowClan warrior approached. Specklefoot touched noses with Silentstorm in greeting, turning next to Darkbreeze. “Good to see you again.” As Silentstorm and Darkbreeze greeted their ShadowClan friend, Ambertalon and Blazeheart padded off, joining a different group of warriors.

     Silentstorm mewed, “Likewise.” She flicked her tail, saying, “I smell a lot of cats here tonight. Looks like every leader's brought as many warriors as they can spare.”

     Specklefoot nodded. She mewed grimly, “They know that Breeze is going to bring the wrath of StarClan down on us. We need to be prepared to face them.”

     Silentstorm privately doubted whether they could ever be ready. But aloud, she only mewed, “I'm just glad the Clans are fighting together on this. For a while, I was worried that the leaders wouldn't agree to ally the Clans before the full moon.”

     To Silentstorm's surprise, Specklefoot gave a low purr of laughter. “I may have had something to do with that,” she admitted. Silentstorm and Darkbreeze turned to her in surprise. “He thought that the best course was to take the Clan away, or stand alone. I reminded him that ThunderClan and RiverClan had come to help ShadowClan before, and that the Clans had stood together during the Dark Battle.” She flicked her tail, adding, “I may have mentioned he sort of owed the other Clans for what's happened the last few moons.”

     Silentstorm's ears flicked back in surprise. “And he listened to you?” she asked. “I mean, Tigerstar seems a bit proud to listen to every suggestion from a younger warrior.”

     Specklefoot shrugged. “Olivenose is my mother's sister, and when my mother died she pretty much raised me and my brother,” she explained. “She listens to me, and Tigerstar listens to her.”

     Darkbreeze gave a purr, nudging Specklefoot's leg with her paw. “I'm glad you did,” she told Specklefoot. “We need ShadowClan to stand with us on this one.”

     The ShadowClan warrior grew more serious. “All I want is the safety of my Clan,” she mewed solemnly. “I remembered you two, and how you stood beside me to save our Clan from Shrew. The Clans are strongest when they fight together.”

     Silentstorm ducked her head. “We just did what any warrior would,” she mewed. “We couldn't let Shrew destroy your Clan.”

     “Not every warrior would have helped the way you did,” Specklefoot insisted. She glanced back towards the other cats on the island, cats from three Clans mingling together and sharing news. “Everything that happened with Shrew taught me that sharing Clan blood doesn't always mean you can rely on a cat. It's who chooses to support you, not who was born into it. And you two helped my Clan even when you weren't my Clanmates.” She sighed. “ShadowClan won't survive if we try to fight alone. We need the kind of loyalty that helped us drive out Shrew if we're going to get through this.”

     Silentstorm didn't have much hope for the battle ahead. But she knew that however hopeless the coming fight was, she would fight to the end for every Clan. She touched her nose to Specklefoot's ear anyway, promising, “I will fight as hard for your Clanmates as for any ThunderClan cat. If Breeze really does start a fight, we'll all fight together.”

     Beside her, Darkbreeze murmured agreement. Specklefoot gave a small purr, mewing, “Thank you.” She hesitated before mewing, “It's nice to know I have friends to fight beside me today.”

     Silentstorm gave a weary purr of agreement. A new scent floated on the breeze, pawsteps and new voices sounding nearby. RiverClan had arrived at the island. She could hear RiverClan cats making their way into the island, calling out to the other warriors and joining the small groups. She lifted her head, sniffing for the familiar scent of Eeltooth, finally locating him a few foxlengths away. He was looking around, seeming confused. “Eeltooth!” Silentstorm called, waving her tail. “Over here!” Eeltooth looked over, perking his ears. He began padding towards his friends.

     “Good, you're here,” Eeltooth said as he reached the small group. He settled on the grass beside Darkbreeze, flicking his tail against her flank in greeting. “I was hoping you'd be here to fight with me.”

     Darkbreeze snorted in laughter. “You couldn't drag me away,” she growled.

     “I'd rather get my whiskers pulled than miss this fight,” Specklefoot agreed in a joyful snarl. She lashed her tail, pelt beginning to bristle. “If Breeze wants to destroy the Clans, I'm taking some rogues down with me before I let him.”

     Eeltooth pulled back his lips, giving a low snarl of agreement. For the briefest moment, Silentstorm felt a shade of hope. She knew the Clans stood no chance if Shade really was helping the rogues. But just for a moment, with her friends beside her, and feeling the strength of their loyalty to her and each other, she almost felt they could win. “Me too,” she growled.

     Behind her, she could hear the leaders beginning to swarm up the Great Tree. Ashstar's strong yowl came from the branches of the tree. “Cats of all Clans, this Gathering has begun!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not totally happy with this, but eh. I just sorta got stuck. Hopefully next chapter will be easier to write.
> 
> Anyway, it's finally time for the Gathering again. It's been a full moon since the book started, and now it's time to see what Breeze will do next.
> 
> Not much else to say here. Next chapter will be in Blazeheart's POV. Only three or four real chapters left, and then a few bonus chapters. Not sure if I'll make the new cover after the real chapters are done, or all of the chapters. We'll see when I have time to draw it.


	25. Chapter Twenty Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Gathering has begun

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 3: Waning Moon  
Chapter Twenty Three

     Blazeheart looked up towards the Great Tree, ears flicking forward. All four leaders were standing on the lower branches of the tree. Ashstar and Bramblestar shared a lower branch, Mistystar on a higher branch, while Tigerstar was on branch a little to the side. All four leaders looked down as their warriors fell silent. Every cat seemed to be holding their breath as they waited for the Gathering to begin.

     Mistystar stepped forward first. “We have a new queen in the nursery,” she announced clearly. “Duskfur has returned to the nursery expecting a new litter.” Blazeheart saw Reedwhisker draw himself up proudly from his seat with the other deputies, near by the base of the Great Tree. He guessed the deputy was Duskfur's mate. “ We caught fox scents by the far border earlier in the moon, but they seem to have moved on.”

     The blue-gray leader paused, hesitating before adding, “Rushtail died on the first half moon. He is missed by his Clanmates, and will be honored by StarClan.” She stepped back, letting another leader take her place.

     Blazeheart murmured to Ambertalon, “That was pretty rushed. And no mention of Breeze or the rogues.”

     She whispered back, “They're trying to carry on like normal. I guess they're trying to prove Breeze won't get in the way of the Gathering unless he actually shows up.”

     While they were whispering, Tigerstar had come to the front of his branch, waving his tail commandingly. “Buffy's kits were born two sunrises after the second half moon,” he announced to the cats listening below. “StarClan has blessed her with a healthy litter of five kittens. Birdkit, Dustykit, Graykit, Tulipkit, and Shilo are welcome additions to ShadowClan, and we look forward to their future in our Clan.”

     Surprised murmurs rippled through the crowd. “Shilo?” Blazeheart repeated, ears turning forward in interest. “What kind of Clan name is that?”

     The group he and Ambertalon had sat with contained a few ShadowClan warriors. Pepperpelt murmured, “She gave most of her kits Clan names, but she said she had promised herself to name one of her kits after her mother, a kittpyet named Shilo.”

     “And Tigerstar allowed that?” Ambertalon asked in surprise.

     Pepperpelt shrugged. “He let Buffy keep her name, didn't he? What's so different about giving her own kit a kittypet name?”

     Blazeheart hesitated, but found he couldn't come up with a fitting objection. So he fell silent, listening as Tigerstar continued. “Applefur has gone to StarClan. Her Clanmates grieve for her, and the kits she leaves behind will honor her memory and her wisdom.”

     As Tigerstar stepped back, Bramblestar took over, his commanding rumble echoing through the island. “We come to the Gathering tonight with two new warriors. Lightfoot and Sparktail earned their names after proving their courage and loyalty in battle.”

     Blazeheart spotted the new warriors sitting a few tail-lengths away, gathered with a group of WindClan and RiverClan warriors. He added his voice to the crowds' as cats began to chant, “Lightfoot! Sparktail! Lightfoot! Sparktail!” Even in the tense atmosphere, both toms managed to muster some pride as their names were called.

     “We also have two new apprentices,” Bramblestar called, bringing the attention back to him. “Though they could not be here tonight, Ripplepaw and Skypaw began their training three sunrises ago. Ripplepaw is being trained by Ambertalon, while Skypaw is mentored by Molefoot.”

     “Ripplepaw! Skypaw! Ripplepaw! Skypaw!” Blazeheart almost felt like the cheerful yowls of the other cats were forced, as though they were trying to seem deliberately joyful and confident in their Clans. He tried to fight back the sinking feeling in his own chest, cheering for his absent Clanmates.

     Bramblestar continued once the yowls died down. “In addition, we have two new queens. Blossomfall and Hazeltail both entered the nursery this moon, expecting kits.” He hesitated for a moment. After a pause, he rumbled, “The fathers of both of these litters, sadly, have passed on. Foxleap died while guarding his Clan at the first half moon, and Mousewhisker fell in battle during the second half moon. Both of these cats will be honored for their courage, and will be remembered as their kits are raised among us.” Grief tugged at Blazeheart's heart as he remembered the deaths of his Clanmates. But he felt a twinge of hope as he remembered the kits they were leaving behind, and the new lives that would come to his Clan in the coming moons.

     As Bramblestar stepped back, Ashstar padded forward, claws digging into the bark as she stood before the cats below. Blazeheart felt a twinge of concern as he saw how she swayed a little on her paws. Ashstar's pelt clung tightly to her bones, white flecking her muzzle. Would Ashstar really make it through whatever battle waited for the Clans?

     “WindClan welcomes four new kits this moon,” Ashstar called out to the cats below. “Nightfern's litter is strong and healthy. We also have a new queen. Larksong has gone to the nursery expecting Crouchfoot's kits.” Blazeheart spotted the black tom in the crowd, holding his head up proudly at the mention of his mate. “We thank StarClan for the prosperity of the past moon, and we look forward to the progress of our newest members.”

     Ashstar hesitated, then stepped back. For a moment, Blazeheart almost thought that would be it. The Gathering, it seemed, was over.

     Then, a voice sounded from the edge of the island. “Intruders!” A few warriors emerged from the ferns near the bridge, turning back and bristling at the cats that followed them. Blazeheart stiffened, recognizing the lithe black tom at their head.

     Ashstar arched her back, spitting, “Breeze!” The black tom stared up calmly at the four leaders, the same calm smugness in his amber gaze as Blazeheart had seen last moon.

     “Hello, Ashstar,” Breeze said in a silky purr. He gazed calmly around the island, meeting the hate-filled glares of the Clan cats without any sign of fear. “I see you continue to Gather, even after the warning I gave you last moon,” he mewed. “You must be more foolish than I thought.”

     Mistystar glared down at him, growling, “Of course we are here, Breeze.” Even in her anger, the elderly blue-gray leader managed to come across as unquestionably noble. “Tonight is the full moon. Our ancestors have decreed that we meet on the night that the moon is brightest, so that we may share news, and honor StarClan above.” She curled back her lip, flashing her fangs in a snarl. “The threats of one cat will not stand between our Clans and the traditions we have followed for moons beyond count.” 

     Breeze gave a contemptuous snort, looking at each of the leaders in turn. “You hold such pride in such a broken code,” he sneered. After a moment, he shrugged. “So, last moon, I made a demand of the Clans. I demanded that you disband forever, and leave your tarnished code behind. What is your answer now?”

     For a moment, the four leaders looked at each other. Ashstar looked at each of her fellow leaders in turn. Tigerstar dipped his head to the older leader, Mistystar flicking her tail encouragingly, and Bramblestar gave a small nod. Finally, having gained the approval of her fellow leaders, Ashstar turned back to Breeze. She glared down proudly at her kin, strength in her mew as she gave her answer. “We will never leave our Clans, Breeze,” she growled. “Every cat here is prepared to fight to defend our code.”

     The cats in the clearing below murmured their agreement. Blazeheart felt the cats moving in behind him. Ambertalon stood beside him, pelt bristling against hers, Silvershine and Sunstrike moving in close beside him with their teeth bared. All across the island, cats from all four Clans stood together, side by side, pelt to pelt, glaring hatred at Breeze together. The warriors of the four Clans were prepared to fight.

     Breeze seemed unfazed as all four Clans stared him down. Even as the cats beside him crouched and snarled, Breeze remained standing, his pelt unruffled. “Then you have chosen your own destruction,” he said calmly.

     “So now what, Breeze?” Bramblestar growled. “If you want to destroy us, I welcome you to try.” The massive tabby crouched against his branch, amber eyes dark with anger.

     The rogues Breeze had brought began to move forward, but Breeze managed to halt them with a short flick of his tail. “I told you I would destroy you. But there will be no battle tonight. Your destruction will be at a time of _my_ choosing. The Clans do not get to have their heroic fight to the death tonight; you will die scattered, and alone, and afraid. And with your last breath you will curse the stars that you fought so hard for.”

     Blazeheart felt a jolt of surprise. He almost didn't register what was happening as Breeze and his cats began retreating back into the ferns, with warriors giving chase. Splashes sounded as the rogues flung themselves into the lake, swimming strongly back to the other shore. Blazeheart heard challenging yowls of the warriors who had chased them, only for the cats to return through the ferns. Larksong led the returning warriors, reporting to the warriors, “They're gone.”

     Every cat seemed stunned by what had just happened. The four leaders stood atop the Great Tree, blinking back their shock, while the clearing broke into mews and yowls. It slowly began to dawn on Blazeheart that there was not going to be a battle fought that night. His hackles began to lower, surprise making his legs weak under him. He leaned against Ambertalon's shoulder a little as he tried to take in what had happened.

     “What a coward!” Ambertalon hissed, lashing her tail. “He makes some big speech about destroying us, but backs out when he's actually faced with four Clans ready to fight.”

     Blazeheart gave a half-hearted mew of agreement, but privately he doubted that Breeze's retreat had anything to do with cowardice. The tom seemed as sure of himself as ever. The fur on the back of Blazeheart's neck began to prickle as he realized that this fight wasn't over yet.

     The clamor in the clearing had risen in volume. “Silence!” Bramblestar's booming yowl rose about the cries of the crowd, sending every cat into silence. The warriors below all turned their eyes to the four leaders in the Great Tree. Blazeheart could see confusion in his leader's eyes, but Bramblestar did his best to keep his composure. “We cannot know for sure what Breeze means. All we can know for sure is that Breeze is gone, for now.”

     “But what about our Clanmates?” Oddtail asked in a gasp. “What if Breeze has taken his cats back to our camps?”

     Panicked cries raced through the crowd. Mistystar gave a sharp yowl for order, calling out, “We need to return to our camps! Everyone, gather together according to Clan, and we'll make our way in an orderly fashion across the pebble-bridge.”

     “If our camps are under attack, we'll send a messenger to the other Clans to ask for help,” Bramblestar added. The clearing exploded into movement, cats scrambling to group together by Clan. Blazeheart and Ambertalon left Silvershine and Sunstrike behind, joining their Clanmates by the far edge of the ferns. His heart was racing; he could only hope they didn't get back to their camp too late.

**SCENEBREAK**

     “Bramblestar?” Squirrelflight looked alarmed as the Gathering patrol burst through the bramble entrance. “What in StarClan is going on? Are you being chased?”

     The massive tabby shook his his, still looking stunned. The elders and queens began stepping out of their dens, blinking in surprise as the panting, wide-eyed warriors burst into camp. Blazeheart and Ambertalon pushed through the entrance together, Silentstorm not far behind them. Blazeheart's lungs burned, his legs shaking wildly under him. The patrol had run back to camp as fast as their paws could carry them.

     “Breeze left the Gathering without a fight,” Bramblestar managed to gasp out. “We thought he might have come back to attack the camps. We came back as soon as we could.”

     Squirrelflight shook her head. “All quiet here,” she told her mate. “We haven't seen hide nor hair of Breeze since you left.” She came to sniff Bramblestar's pelt, looking concerned as he trembled from the effort of his run.

     Blazeheart fought to get air back in his lungs. As the burning sensation in his chest lessened, he began to realize that Squirrelflight was right. The camp showed no signs of disturbance, and every cat looked fine. Breeze really hadn't made any attacks tonight. His Clan was safe.

     Cats were beginning to talk among themselves, voices rising in panic.

     “What does this mean?”  
     “Is Breeze going to attack us?”  
     “Has he given up?”  
     “What is he planning?”

     Bramblestar exchanged a brief glance with Squirrelflight, pressing his muzzle to his mates' for a moment. Then, he turned and bounded across the camp, sending snow flying up as he ran. He scrambled up the High Ledge, turning to stand before his Clan. “Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the High Ledge for a Clan meeting!” he yowled.

     Every cat fell silent, turning to look up at their leader. Blazeheart and his Clanmates began migrating towards the High Ledge, waiting for Bramblestar to speak.

     “Breeze came to the Gathering tonight,” he told his Clanmates. The cats who had been at the Gathering didn't react, and even the cats who had stayed behind in camp showed no surprise. Bramblestar continued, “When we told him we would defend our Clans and home to the end, he told us he would punish us. But he said he would do it at his own time, and then he and his rogues left.” As the murmurs started up again, he gave a single lash of his tail for silence.

     “I don't know what he is planning,” Bramblestar growled. “But it would be foolish to assume he has simply given up. I believe he is saving his battle against the Clans for when he can strike first.”

     Berrynose called out, “So what will we do?”

     “What we've already been doing,” the leader said. “Make sure the camp is prepared for battle. Double the guard. Keep an eye on all of our borders. The only thing we can do is be prepared as possible for whenever Breeze makes his attack.” He paused for a moment, gaze sweeping over his Clan. “Get some sleep,” he murmured. “Tomorrow, we'll begin preparations. You are all dismissed.”

     Blazeheart watched as his Clanmates murmured to each other, beginning to make their way back to their dens. He hadn't fought any battle that day, and yet, somehow he felt just as exhausted as though he'd fought ten. Nothing had been resolved. Breeze was still out there, still a threat to his Clan. And now, they had no idea when he would strike next.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know you guys were expecting a lot more out of this chapter. And I'm sorry. But this is the way it had to happen. I'll make up for it later.
> 
> Next chapter will be from Silentstorm's POV. Only two or three chapters left.


	26. Chapter Twenty Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Silentstorm looks for more answers

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 3: Waning Moon  
Chapter Twenty Four

     “Shade!”

     Silentstorm was furious. She had gone to that Gathering fully expecting to die fighting for her Clan, because she had thought Breeze would invincible with Shade by his side. But to her complete shock, Breeze hadn't attacked the cats at the Gathering. And now, she was going to find out why.

     When sleep had claimed her after the Gathering was over, Silentstorm had found herself in the Dark Forest again. The mist rolled lazily around her, weaving around her paws and around her pelt. “I see you have questions, Silent One,” Shade commented, a hint of fire crackling in her voice.

     Silentstorm narrowed her eyes, growling between her teeth. “Yeah, I have questions,” she snapped. “What are you up to, Shade? Breeze could've flattened us into mousedust at the Gathering, but he didn't. Why?”

     Shade's chuckle clattered against Silentstorm's ears. “Oh little warrior, you have a lot to learn,” the creature purred. “This isn't about killing a few forest cats. This is about making you _hurt_. If Breeze had attacked you at the Gathering, you would have died too quickly, and those left behind would have survived.” Silentstorm felt chilled, as though ice were creeping through her veins. “When your end comes, there will be no one left alive.”

     “Then finish us already,” Silentstorm growled. “You have enough power. And why work with Breeze at all?” She paused, something finally dawning on her. “You can't leave the Dark Forest, can you?” she breathed. “You're stuck here. You can speak to me in my mind wherever I am, or bring me here in my dreams. But you can't actually leave the Dark Forest. That's why you have Breeze out there doing your dirty work, because you can't come and hurt the Clans yourself.”

     The mist around her stilled. There was a strange sound, almost like a growl. With a rush of satisfaction, Silentstorm realized she had struck a chord. “I could kill you right now,” Shade growled, the mist squeezing tight against Silentstorm until she almost couldn't breathe. Then, it softened. “But you're right. I can't leave this forest.” She paused. “Yet. But don't for once second think that doesn't mean I can't bring destruction down on everything your world holds dear.”

     “You just have to all yourself with a scrawny rogue to do it,” Silentstorm sneered.

     Shade laughed, hard and clear. “That scrawny rogue has an army, and allies more dangerous than you've ever dreamed,” she purred. “You're a fool if you think your Clan is safe.”

     Silentstorm tried to retort, but the Dark Forest was dissolving around her. Every muscle felt heavy, the darkness dragging her down into sleep. The last thing she heard as she was swept into lighter dreams as Shade's growl. “We will meet again, Silent One.”

**SCENEBREAK**

     Sunlight streamed through the den's entrance, resting on her muzzle. Silentstorm blinked awake, giving a small groan. All around her, warriors were stirring, murmuring to each other as they woke. The nest beside her was empty, and the nest next to that; it seemed Blazeheart and Ambertalon were already awake.

     Silentstorm pushed herself onto her paws, padding carefully out of the den. As she stepped out of the den, she felt surprising warmth around her pelt, and the sun on her back. Even the snow under her paws felt wetter and more slushy. 

     “Hey.” Silentstorm's ear flicked back towards Ivypool as the she-cat approached behind her. The older warrior stood beside her, flicking her tail against Silentstorm's pelt. “It's really warmed up out here,” Ivypool commented. “Looks like leafbare's starting to back off, finally.”

     Silentstorm nodded, forcing a cheerful tone. “Good thing, too,” she mewed. The two warriors began strolling towards the fresh-kill pile together. “I think I can scent the newleaf air coming. Maybe the snows will melt soon, and there'll be more prey.”

     Ivypool's whiskers twitched. “It's not quite that easy,” she told the younger cat. “Prey doesn't just come flooding back into the forest the moment the snow melts. And I don't think more prey is going to solve every problem our Clan faces.”

     Silentstorm's false cheer faded away, worry pricking at her heart like claws. As they picked a blackbird from the pile to share, Silentstorm asked her old mentor, “What do you think Breeze is planning?” She knew Ivypool had known Breeze well when they had trained together in the Dark Forest. “When do you think he'll strike again?”

     Ivypool's gaze darkened. She murmured, “I don't know. All I know is, he finally has the chance to punish the Clans, and he's going to make sure he gets it right.”

     Her words sent a chill through Silentstorm's pelt. She said nothing, just helping her mentor drag the black-bird towards the side of the fallen birch. They crouched together, sharing the bird between them. When they were finished with their meal, Silentstorm didn't even have it in her to swipe the feathers away with her tail. Her worried thoughts were buzzing around in her head like bees, refusing to leave her alone.

     “Silentstorm!” The warriors looked up, ears perking as she recognized Squirrelflight's mew. She mewed a quick goodbye to Ivypool before padding off, joining Squirrelflight and the cats surrounding her near the High Ledge.

     Squirrelflight flicked her tail briefly in greeting as Silentstorm sat before her. Seedlight, Snowfall, and Sparktail already sat nearby, ears turned towards their deputy as she spoke. “Bramblestar took a patrol to check the WindClan border,” Squirrelflight told the listening cats. “I'm sending you to check the ShadowClan border. We're increasing patrols on all borders, and we need to make sure everything is secure. Seedlight is in charge.” She lashed her tail, taking on a stern tone. “If you scent rogues at all, come back to camp at _once._ If there really are rogues in our territory, it's more important for the Clan to have warning than chasing them out immediately. We don't need to lose warriors because they walked into a fight they couldn't handle.”

     Sparktail gave a low growl, but didn't argue with the deputy. Seedlight dipped her head, mewing, “Yes, Squirrelflight.” With a flick of her tail, the pale tabby had every cat on their paws, and was leading her patrol out into the forest.

     Silentstorm followed her Clanmates into the woods, her thoughts still circling around Breeze. She could tell her Clanmates were uneasy as well. Sparktail's pelt was even more prickled than usual, Snowfall hung at the back to keep an eye behind them, and Seedlight's ears were flicking around anxiously to catch the sounds of an intruder. Every cat was on edge, acting like startled prey in their own territory.

     “Wait.” Sparktail paused, crouching low. He stayed still for a moment, before rushing out into the bushes. A single squeak rang out, and Sparktail emerged from the bush, a vole hanging from his jaws.

     Silentstorm and the rest of the patrol approached, mewing praise. “Nice catch!” Seedlight mewed, sounding impressed. “Even I didn't smell that one.”

     Sparktail shrugged, trying not to sound too pleased. “I heard it scuffing in the bushes,” he explained, trying to sound humble, though Silentstorm could hear the pride bubbling underneath. He rolled it under his paw, mewing, “There's a fair bit of meat on it. Seedlight, do you want to share it?”

     Seedlight paused, seeming surprised for a moment. Then, she curled her tail, giving a pleased purr. “Sure!”

     As Sparktail moved towards the vole, he paused, seeming to remember the other cats were there. “Unless you all want some, of course,” he added awkwardly.

     Silentstorm's whiskers twitched in amusement, Snowfall responding in kind beside her. It seemed her brother wasn't the only tom padding after a she-cat recently. “It's a good catch, but I don't think any vole would give four cats more than a few mouthfuls,” she said. “Go ahead, you two share it.”

     “Thank you, Silentstorm,” Sparktail mewed. He and Seedlight crouched over their vole, their shoulder fur brushing together as they ate in small, neat bites. Silentstorm listened, her dark thoughts briefly overcome by amusement. Even with the threat of rogues and Shade, some cats were managing to find moments of happiness.

     After the two cats finished eating, the patrol set off again, making their way towards the ShadowClan border. After some time walking in silence, they finally reached the edge of their territory. The ThunderClan cats approached the border cautiously, pelts ruffled.

     Seedlight approached the border, lowering her muzzle to the grass and sniffing. “I don't smell any rogues,” she told her Clanmates.

     Silentstorm sniffed the air, her Clanmates stepping away to explore the area around. “Me neither,” she mewed finally. Somehow, the lack of rogue scent had Silentstorm uneasy. The longer Breeze waited to make his attack, the more likely it was he was planning something horrible. She almost wished they had battled him last night after all. At least that way, it would have been over with, and she would know where she stood. Now, Silentstorm was left floundering with no way to guess his attack, and what Shade was planning next.

     Seedlight remarked the border, laying fresh ThunderClan scent over the scent lines. All four cats scouted for rogue scents for a while, finding nothing. They were almost going to leave when something made them pause.

     Silentstorm caught the scent first. “ShadowClan patrol,” she warned her Clanmates. Only a few moments later, three cats emerged from the ferns on the other side of the border, approaching the ThunderClan cats. Silentstorm lifted her muzzle, sniffing the air hopefully, only to lower it as she realized Specklefoot wasn't on the patrol.

     Sparktail narrowed his eyes, lashing his tail at the sight of the ShadowClan cats, but Snowfall and Seedlight seemed relieved. “Greetings, Dewfrost,” Seedlight mewed to one of the ShadowClan cats. Silentstorm's ears perked with interest. She had been away with RiverClan when Dewfrost had been sheltered by ThunderClan, but Blazeheart had told her the warrior was a decent cat.

     “Greetings, Seedlight,” Dewfrost replied, certainly sounding friendly enough. “Any sign of the rogues today?” Stripedpaw and Pepperpelt, who stood beside Dewfrost, seemed more uneasy. They watched the ThunderClan cats with their pelts bristling, but they didn't attack or snap at the enemy warriors. Silentstorm supposed that was progress.

     Seedlight shook her head, mewing, “We haven't caught scent of them so far. You?”

     “Not so much as a scent,” Dewfrost told her. “Tigerstar will send word if we discover any traces of rogues in our territory.”

     Before Seedlight could answer, Sparktail lashed his bristled tail, growling, “Just make sure you stick to two fox-lengths from the lake.”

     Dewfrost just flicked an ear in response, but her Clanmates began bristling. “Are you trying to accuse us of something?” Stripedpaw growled, lashing his tail.

     “Only pointing out that ShadowClan hasn't always respected our borders in the past,” Sparktail pointed out stiffly.

     Both ShadowClan toms growled in response. Silentstorm flattened her ears, hissing to her Clanmate, “Shut it, Sparktail.” She supposed she shouldn't be surprised. Sparktail had been mostly pleasant the whole patrol; it figured that would only last so long.

     He snorted, turning to Silentstorm briefly. “I just don't want any cat getting the idea that this alliance is an invitation for cats to traipse all over our territory,” he muttered. “We don't need a repeat of Shrew and her cats thinking they could hunt on any cat's territory.”

     Silentstorm was going to retort, but Seedlight beat her to it. “Sparktail, you're being rude,” she reprimanded. “These cats are our allies now.” Her tone was far kinder than Silentstorm would have been, but still stern enough for Sparktail to fall silent. Seedlight waited to make sure he would stay silent, then turned back to the ShadowClan cats. “I'm sorry. But he does have a point. We may be allies, but there are still borders between us.”

     Dewfrost's whiskers twitched. “It's alright,” she told Seedlight. “I understand.” The she-cat glanced at Sparktail, sounding amused as she said, “I can see you haven't changed much, Sparktail. Still ready to raise your hackles if someone sneezes the wrong way.” Sparktail gave an annoyed hiss, but didn't retort.

     “We won't cross your borders unless we have to,” Pepperpelt mewed. “As long as you don't.”

     Seedlight gave a small nod. “We won't.” She took a step back, waving her tail to her Clanmates. “We have to get back. May StarClan light your path.”

     “And yours,” Dewfrost replied in a friendly mew. Seedlight began taking her patrol back into ThunderClan territory, leading them away into the ferns. Silentstorm listened to the ShadowClan warriors murmuring behind them, waiting for their voices to fade away to nothing.

     “It always makes my pelt prickle, leaving a patrol on our border like that,” Sparktail grumbled. The young tom's tail was still lashing, much to Silentstorm's annoyance.

     She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “Yes, because every border patrol is there to steal our territory the second our backs are turned,” she growled sarcastically. “ShadowClan are our allies now. Can't you stop acting like they're going to claw your ears off every time they look at you?”

     Sparktail glared back at Silentstorm, growling, “We all know you'd welcome any cat to their pick of the fresh-kill pile, Silentstorm. But maybe some of us prefer a little caution when it comes to cats that aren't our Clanmates.”

     “Alright, knock it off, you two,” Seedlight sighed. Silentstorm reluctantly kept her mouth shut, giving a final snort. Sparktail's tail lashed once, but he didn't retort either. Seedlight looked between the two cats, muttering, “You two are always twittering at each other like angry sparrows. I know you don't always agree, but there's no point in pecking at each other about it. We have enough problems as it is.”

     Silentstorm managed to feel a twinge of shame, and Sparktail was bristling uncomfortably. “Sorry, Seedlight,” he muttered, sounding genuinely ashamed.

     “Sorry,” Silentstorm murmured.

     Seedlight sounded a bit more friendly as she mewed, “It's alright. Now come on, our Clanmates need us.”

     The patrol continued on through the forest. As they walked along, Silentstorm's attention was drawn away from the patrol. She caught the faintest trace of a scent near a clump of ferns. She padded away from the patrol, pressing her muzzle against the ferns as she tried to take in the scent.

     “Silentstorm?” Snowfall's voice sounded behind her. The rest of the patrol had followed her, evidently confused. “What is it?”

     The blind she-cat hesitated. “I'm not sure. I thought I could smell something, but it's really faint.”

     Seedlight stiffened. “Rogues?” she asked sharply.

     Silentstorm shook her head. “No. At least, I don't think so... it doesn't smell like Breeze's cats.” She pushed her muzzle harder against the ground, but the scent was so faint that she couldn't breathe in enough of it to make out what it was. “I think there's been too many of our warriors here recently. The ThunderClan scent is too strong overtop of it to make it out.”

     “So it's an old scent?” Snowfall asked.

     She shrugged helplessly. “I guess. But I'm not sure.”

     Silentstorm lifted her muzzle, blinking in confusion. Seedlight mewed, “If it isn't Breeze's rogues, and it isn't even strong enough to make out, I don't think it's something we need to focus on.” Silentstorm couldn't bring herself to argue. “We'll let Bramblestar know, and he can send someone to check on it, but I don't think it's anything to worry about.”

     “If you say so,” Silentstorm agreed. Now that she had given up trying to make out the scent, she supposed Seedlight had a point. It definitely wasn't the scent of Breeze's rogues, or Shade, so it probably wasn't the highest priority.

     She pushed the scent to the back of her mind as she and the patrol left the clump of ferns behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Definitely not totally happy with this chapter. Ugh. I've been feeling kinda anxious about my writing lately, I'm not sure why. But whatever. At least I'm starting a new book soon.
> 
> Two chapters left. Next chapter will be in Blazeheart's POV.


	27. Chapter Twenty Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Five days have passed since the Gathering

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 3: Waning Moon  
Chapter Twenty Five

     Five days had passed since the Gathering. And in those five days, no ThunderClan cat had seen hide nor hair of Breeze's rogues.

     Blazeheart couldn't understand it. Only recently, Breeze and his cats had burst into camp and had completely overwhelmed ThunderClan in moments. And now that the Clans had refused Breeze's demands, he and his rogues were nowhere to be found. Blazeheart wasn't sure whether to feel relieved, or more terrified than ever.

     “Are you alright?” Ambertalon was looking at Blazeheart with concern. The tiny she-cat pressed against his side, blinking at him with worry in her amber eyes.

     The ginger tom shook his head. “I'm fine,” he told Ambertalon. “Just thinking.”

     Ambertalon flicked her tail, still looking at him with concern. The two cats were on patrol together, hunting in a group with Lilyfrost and Rosepetal. Lilyfrost had chased a squirrel though the ferns, and Rosepetal was a few foxlengths away, sniffing at a patch of brambles.

     “Thinking about Breeze again?” she asked. Blazeheart hesitated, then gave a short nod. Ambertalon sighed. “Worrying your pelt off over it isn't going to change anything. Either Breeze attacks, or he doesn't. All we can do is be prepared.”

     Blazeheart glanced back at Ambertalon, giving a weary flick of his ear. “I know,” he mewed. “I just can't help but worry.”

     With a purr, Ambertalon pressed her head against his neck. “I know,” she purred. “You're always worrying for you Clan and your friends. It's sweet.”

     The tom let out his own purr, giving a swift lick between her ears as she leaned against him. Ever since the half moon battle, Blazeheart and Ambertalon had taken every opportunity to hang out. They had patrolled together, hunted together, and shared prey. Even with his worries over Breeze, Blazeheart had never felt so happy in his life.

     Twigs snapped behind them, making both cats whirl around. Lilyfrost had emerged from the ferns, a squirrel hanging limp between her jaws. Blazeheart perked up with interest, tail lifted as he padded towards her. “Great catch!” he praised. Ambertalon and Rosepetal approached as well, meowing their own praise.

     Lilyfrost lowered her squirrel, blinking cheerfully as she took in their praise. “It was pretty slow; I think it was half-asleep,” she mewed fairly.

     “Still, that looks big enough to feed a couple cats,” Ambertalon pointed out. “Slow or not, it was a good catch.”

     Rosepetal nodded, purring, “Looks like the prey is starting to come back for newleaf. Good thing, too. I was starting to forget what having a full belly felt like.”

     Blazeheart nodded fervently. He'd had just about enough of leafbare, and the hunger it brought. If Breeze and his cats really were going to attack, he hoped the Clan would be better-fed with how hunting was getting easier.

     Lilyfrost buried her squirrel, and the patrol set off further into the forest. In just the last few days, the forest had warmed considerably, and most of the snow had melted away into a few remaining piles. Blazeheart didn't know if this was the end of leafbare – it could very well become cold and snow again – but he had a feeling newleaf wasn't far away.

     They continued on for a while longer, before Blazeheart paused. “Ambertalon, can I talk to you?” he asked carefully. He had been meaning to have this conversation for a while, but fear had made him hold back. Now, he finally felt brave enough to ask her.

     Ambertalon tipped her head, her gaze searching. “Alright,” she mewed easily. She glanced back at Lilyfrost and Rosepetal, saying, “You go on ahead. We can catch up.”

     Swapping an amused glance, Rosepetal and Lilyfrost mewed their agreement. The she-cats padded away, soon swallowed up by the undergrowth. Blazeheart waited until he couldn't hear their pawsteps anymore to turn his attention back to Ambertalon.

     Ambertalon was still watching him, her tail waving lazily behind her. She seemed completely at ease. “So, what's up?” she asked curiously.

     The words nearly died in Blazeheart's throat as he looked at her. She had always been so brave, never afraid to say whatever she thought to any cat. He had never had that strength. But the feeling that burned in his chest at the thought of her made him want to try.

     Finally, he managed to mew, “I wanted to talk to you about what we talked about after the battle.”

     Something he couldn't read glowed in her eyes. “Oh,” she murmured.

     Ever since the battle, the two cats had been closer than ever. But neither cat had voiced what they felt for the other. As great as the last half moon had been, Blazeheart wanted to be sure he wasn't misreading what was happening.

     “When you saw me after the battle, you said you really cared about me,” Blazeheart pressed on.

     “I do,” Ambertalon mewed before he could continue. There was something oddly serious about the she-cat's tone. “But I didn't mean to say it the way that I did.”

     Blazeheart's heart sank. “You didn't?”

     She shook her head. “I know I can be really pushy, and loud,” she said, almost sounding apologetic. Blazeheart had never seen the she-cat look so awkward before. “I don't always know when I'm being too much.” Ambertalon gazed up at him, fondness sparkling in her eyes. “You've always been shy,” she mewed bluntly. “You've been a great friend to me, but I've always been afraid that I would forget myself and say something that would make you uncomfortable. And you're so quiet, I wasn't sure that you'd even tell me. I didn't want to do that to you. You're one of my best friends.”

     Hope began to prickle at Blazeheart's paws. “Wait,” he mewed slowly. “You're saying your only regret is that you think you made me uncomfortable by saying too much?” Surprise made his pelt fluff out. “Because you weren't sure that I felt the same way,” he realized aloud, “and you thought that you'd put me in a bad position by being so forward?”

     Ambertalon shrugged. “I kind of threw myself at you,” she pointed out. “I didn't know if I'd made you too uncomfortable to say what you really thought.”

     Blazeheart hesitated, then took a step towards Ambertalon. She didn't move, waiting for him to approach. “If I have ever been intimidated by you, it's only because I'm so impressed by you,” he said honestly. “When we were apprentices training together, I always admired you. But now that I know you better, I know that I can talk to you without being afraid. I love hunting with you, and joking with you, and hearing you talk about what you love. You make me braver, I think.”

     Ambertalon stiffened, hope in her gaze. “I meant what I said after the battle,” he told her somberly. “I really do care about you.” Blazeheart hesitated, wondering whether to say more. But it felt too soon. He just reached out his muzzle, touching his nose to the side of her muzzle. She closed her eyes, leaning into the touch. “I care about you a lot.”

     The she-cat purred, giving a swift lick to his cheek. “I care about you too, Blazeheart.” Ambertalon pulled back, blinking warmly at him. “And I admire you too. You always know how to talk to cats to make them feel better, especially the kits. If I make you braver, I think you make me kinder. And if you really feel the same way, then I want to spend more time with you.”

     “Me too,” he murmured. Ambertalon stepped closer to him, pressing her muzzle against his neck. Blazeheart rested his cheek against her head, purring loudly. They stood together, embracing, taking joy in each other's presence. Blazeheart didn't want it to ever end.

     After a few moments, reluctantly, he pulled back. “Lilyfrost and Rosepetal will be wondering what happened to us,” he mewed regretfully. “We should catch up with them.”

     “You're right,” Ambertalon mewed. She blinked at him, warmth in her amber gaze. “But we'll find time to go hunting together soon?”

     Blazeheart couldn't suppress another purr. “I promise,” he told her. Ambertalon's tail curled in delight.

     As they started to get up, Ambertalon suddenly paused, her nose twitching. “Hold on,” she said. She took a few steps away from Blazeheart, her nose still twitching, until she paused in front of the roots of an oak. She lowered her muzzle to the ground, nose snuffling against the bark of the roots. “I smell something weird.”

     “What is it?” Blazeheart asked curiously.

     “I'm not sure. Come here.” Curious, Blazeheart approached the she-cat, opening his jaws to taste the air. As he got closer, lowering his muzzle to the ground beside Ambertalon, he started to realize what she meant. There was strange, faint scent on the roots of the tree. It didn't smell like rogue scent, but it was too faint to really make out.

     He paused, gazing curiously at the roots. “What do you think it is? I don't recognize the scent.”

     Ambertalon shrugged. “I can't tell. It's too faint.”

     “So it's old?”

     She shook her head. “I'm not sure,” she murmured. “It's too faint to tell. And there's too much ThunderClan scent in the way.”

     Something occurred to Blazeheart. Slowly, he recalled, “Silentstorm said she found a faint scent she couldn't recognize four days ago.”

     Ambertalon's eyes lit up with interest. “And Snowfall said he caught a strange scent near the Ancient Oak yesterday,” she murmured.

     An uneasy feeling came over Blazeheart. The hair along his back began to bristle as he mewed, “There's gotta be something in our territory. Some new cats, or something.”

     “Our patrols would have found them if they were this far into our territory,” Ambertalon argued. “And if there really were strange cats lumbering around in our woods, the scent would be a lot stronger.”

     “What else could it be?” Blazeheart challenged.

     She shrugged. “Maybe a mouse or a bird or something carried the scent of other cats here?” she suggested.

     Blazeheart's tail flicked uneasily. He thought Ambertalon's explanation was a stretch, but the scent was so faint that he wasn't sure what else to think. “Well, whatever it is, we should tell Bramblestar,” he said. “He'll want to send someone to check on it.”

     “Of course,” Ambertalon mewed. “And if there really are strange cats, I'll be the first in line to chase them out.” There was a familiar, fierce gleam in her eyes, a playful growl to her tone. Blazeheart let out a purr of laughter, his uneasiness fading. Whatever the strange scent was, it was hardly the biggest of ThunderClan's concerns.

     He mewed, “Sounds good to me. Now, come on, Lilyfrost and Rosepetal must be wondering where we are.”

     Ambertalon purred her agreement. Together, their pelts brushing, they padded off to rejoin their Clanmates.

**SCENEBREAK**

     After a full morning of hunting, the patrol returned to camp. Blazeheart was decently pleased with the progress they'd made. Besides Lilyfrost's squirrel, Blazeheart had managed to take down a thrush and a plump vole, while Rosepetal had pulled off an impressive leap to catch a fleeing chaffinch. They all carried their catches into camp with their heads held high. It was the best hunting Blazeheart'd had since leafbare had begun.

     As Lilyfrost and Rosepetal left to drop their prey off at the fresh-kill pile, Blazeheart instead made a beeline for the elder's den, Ambertalon following after him. As the approached the elder's den, Blazeheart noticed Silentstorm approaching from the corner of his eye. “Hi,” his sister purred, dropping the shrew between her jaws and coming to stand before the two warriors. Ambertalon and Blazeheart both paused, giving small purrs of greeting. “Good day of hunting?”

     “Really good,” Ambertalon mewed. “It's not quite as good as it was last leaf-fall, but there's definitely more prey out there now that the snow is gone.”

     Silentstorm mewed, “That's great.” As cheerful as his sister sounded, Blazeheart sensed a fakeness to it, as though she were just putting on a good face. He was almost going to ask her what was wrong, but she spoke again before he could. “Heading to the elder's den?”

     “Yeah, we wanted to give them some of our prey,” Ambertalon explained. Blazeheart nodded his agreement, his jaws still closed around the vole and thrush.

     The blind she-cat, nodding to the shrew at her paws. “I caught this on an earlier patrol,” she explained. “Cloudtail was eyeing it, so I promised I would save it for him. Mind if I join you?”

     “Sure!” Ambertalon mewed, Blazeheart giving a flick of his tail in agreement.

     Silentstorm scooped up her shrew, closing her jaws around it and lifting it off the ground. Together, the three cats approached the elder's den, passing through the entrance of the hazel bush.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh god, I know this is a disturbingly, disgustingly short chapter. But I realized that part of what I was going to put in this chapter would work better in the next chapter, and after moving it I realized that there really wasn't anything else to make this chapter longer. I hope the Blaze/Amber cuteness was enough to make up for it? Unless it seems awkward. God, I can't write romance. XD
> 
> Anyway, the next chapter is going to be a bit weird. I need to show Silentstorm's POV to see what she's thinking, but I need a cat to mention how something looks visually in POV. Sooooo, next chapter is probably going to be a mix of Blazeheart and Silenstorm's POV. I don't like mixing that too much, but for this one it has to be done. I'll try to make the transitions smooth.
> 
> Anywhoo, next chapter is the last regular chapter for Waning Moon. I will be releasing three bonus chapters, but I'll probably release the cover for Book Four first. Mostly because I already have it done and I'm too impatient to wait. :P But I won't start posting chapters for Book Four until all the bonus chapters for Waning Moon are done.


	28. Chapter Twenty Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The elders have a tale to tell

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 3: Waning Moon  
Chapter Twenty Six

     Silentstorm followed Blazeheart and Ambertalon into the elder's den. As they passed through the entrance of the hazel bush, she tried to suppress her feelings of unease. Now wasn't the time for dwelling on Breeze and Shade.

     All five elders were in their den when the warriors arrived. Spiderleg was napping in his nest, but the other four looked up as the warriors entered. “Hey there,” Sorreltail croaked, stretching out her hind legs behind her comfortably in her nest. “How's the prey running?”

     Cloudtail's ears perked at the word prey, his nose twitching as he stretched his muzzle towards Blazeheart and Silentstorm. “Speaking of prey, are those for us? I think I recognize that shrew.”

     Blazeheart's whiskers twitched in amusement. He knew the elderly tom was notorious for his appetite, and was usually eyeing the fresh-kill pile. Ambertalon rolled her eyes, admonishing her father, “You always think with your stomach, Cloudtail.”

     “It's the only way he knows how,” Brightheart teased, glancing fondly at her mate. As she did, the injured half of her face was turned towards Blazeheart. Even after knowing the elderly she-cat all his life, he had to suppress a shudder at the sight of the terrible clawmarks that ran through her bald, exposed skin, the gaping socket, the torn-away flesh.

     She turned to look back at the warriors. Blazeheart was struck once again by the contrast between the ugly stretch of bald flesh, and the softness of her fur on the rest of her face, and the warm gleam to her blue eye. “It's very nice of you to visit us. It seems like most of the warriors have been busy all day.”

     Blazeheart dropped his prey at his paws. “It's the first warm day there's been in moons,” he mewed. “Cats are trying to get good hunting in while they can.” He nudged the vole and thrush forward, adding, “And Cloudtail's right. These are for you.”

     Brightheart's ear perked forward. The elders all climbed from their nests, approaching the meal. Only Spiderleg remained unmoving, still snoring lightly as the other elders crouched over the fresh-kill and ate. “Um, should we wake him?” Blazeheart asked, glancing warily at the scrawny tom.

     Sorreltail purred in laughter, swallowing down a few bites of vole. “Only if you want to find his claws embedded in your muzzle,” she joked. “Don't worry, we'll bring him something to eat when he wakes up.”

     “Besides, he'd eat it all in a heartbeat, the greedy old fox,” Cloudtail grunted, pulling feathers out of his way as he bit into the thrush. Brightheart was crouched beside her mate, eating up the thrush in small, neat bites.

     Millie rolled her eyes. “Yes, because he's the only cat in this den who eats everything in front of him,” she mewed, looking pointedly at Cloudtail. He lashed his tail once, but didn't reply.

     Silentstorm, Ambertalon and Blazeheart sat across from the elders, waiting as they finished eating. Silentstorm could hear crunching as the elders finished the last bites of their meal, pushing aside the leftover bones and feathers. “Ah, that was good,” Millie mewed, swiping her tongue over her jaws. “I can't remember the last time I tasted a vole with real meat on its bones.”

     “I guess prey is eating better now that the snow is gone, too,” Blazeheart pointed out. Silentstorm remembered how the hunting had been easier the last few days, and the prey more plentiful.

     Ambertalon added, “And it doesn't look like Breeze and his cats have stolen any.” She lashed her tail, sniffing, “Cowards. They couldn't even face us in battle at the Gathering.”

     “Just be grateful there wasn't a fight,” Brightheart cautioned her daughter. “It's never easy, fighting a battle of that scale.”

     Cloudtail was nodding slowly. “The last time there was a battle of that scale, with every cat fighting in the same place, was the battle with BloodClan.”

     Silentstorm's ears flicked forward curiously. “What about the Dark Battle?” she asked. “Wasn't that a bigger battle?”

     “A bigger battle, yes,” Sorreltail agreed. “But it was all spread out between the four camps. There weren't as many cats all fighting together in one area as with the battle against BloodClan.”

     Silentstorm tipped her head curiously. She could vaguely remember the tale of the fierce twolegplace cats, who wore the teeth of their own kind in their collars as trophies. As she wondered, Ambertalon spoke up. “Were you there for that battle, Sorreltail?” she asked curiously.

     The elder gave a snort of laughter. “No, I was only a kit,” she told Ambertalon. “My mother Willowpelt stayed in camp with me and my littermates, Rainkit and Sootkit. Sandstorm taught us a few fighting moves in case the rogues attacked, but the battle never made it out of Fourtrees.”

     Blazeheart listened uncertainly, trying to keep up with all the unfamiliar names and places. The idea of young Sorrelkit staying behind with her mother, trained to fight just in case, made him think of how the queens and elders had stayed behind during the last Gathering. “What about you, Millie?” he asked.

     “Not me, youngster,” the scrawny elder rasped. Merriment glowed in her eyes. “I'm old enough, but I was still a kittypet in those days. I didn't join until after a season after the Clans left the forest. Spiderleg wasn't born yet, in case you were thinking of asking him next.” She flicked her tail towards the elderly couple, adding, “Brightheart and Cloudtail were there, though.”

     Ambertalon and Blazeheart both turned to look at the two elders, Silentstorm twisting her ears around to listen. Brightheart and Cloudtail's whiskers twitched. “Yes, we were there,” Brightheart mewed. “We were still young warriors in those days. Cloudtail had only been made a warrior a few moons before, and Firestar had just given me my true name.”

     “True name?” Blazeheart asked, tipping his head.

     Brightheart hesitated, something like fear glowing in her eye for a moment. “You know that I was injured by dogs as an apprentice,” she murmured. “My friend Swiftpaw was killed, and I barely survived. Our leader in those days was devastated by Tigerstar having betrayed her. He was her deputy, and after he tried to kill her, she didn't trust any cat anymore. She thought that StarClan had betrayed her.” The more Brightheart talked about it, the more Blazeheart saw her curling in on herself, starting to look smaller and more vulnerable. He almost thought he was seeing the small, scared warrior who was still healing from the attack by the dogs. “She saw the dogs mauling me as an act of war against her by StarClan, so she named me as such.”

     “What did she name you?” Ambertalon asked, eyes wide.

     The elder looked away, seeming unable to finish. It was Cloudtail who answered. “She named her Lostface,” he growled, surprising venom in his tone. Blazeheart had never seen the gleam of anger in his eyes before.

     He and Ambertalon gaped at the elders. “ _Lostface?_ ” Blazeheart gasped, his hackles raising. “But that's a cruel name!” He could see the horrible gashes on Brightheart's face, the ugly wounds still looking barely healed. For a leader to give Brightheart a name like that, something that would remind her every day how disfigured she now looked, was just unspeakable.

     Silentstorm felt her own pelt bristling. Though she could not see Brightheart's injuries for herself, she had felt the jagged clawmarks and gashes with her paws, as a young kit listening to the elders' tales. She knew how horrific Brightheart's injuries had been; how could any cat think to name her so cruelly after them? Silentstorm shuddered, suddenly finding herself grateful that she hadn't been saddled with a name like Losteyes.

     “Bluestar wasn't in her right mind in those last moons,” Sorreltail tried to defend her old leader. “She was old, and the betrayal of her deputy was too much for her mind to handle. She was barely eating, and Fireheart and Whitestorm were the only cats who could really talk to her. I don't think she even realized she was being cruel; she thought she was giving Brightheart a name to help her spite StarClan for what they'd done.”

     Brightheart gave a quick shake of her head, mewing briskly, “Anyway, after she died and Firestar became leader, he gave me my true warrior name. It was only a few moons after that when Tigerstar brought BloodClan to the forest.”

     “Arrogant old badger,” Cloudtail growled. “He honestly thought he could control Scourge and his massive army of rogues, and then chase them out once they'd fought his battle for him.” He lashed his tail, sniffing, “It's no wonder Scourge did away with him.”

     Silentstorm listened uneasily. She had to wonder whether Breeze was making a similar mistake. Would Shade really honor any agreement she had made with the rogue, or would he find himself bleeding out his life the second he wasn't any use to her anymore?

     “Cloudtail helped me train so I could fight for the battle,” Brightheart continued. “Once Firestar saw how well I could fight, even with just one eye, he agreed to let me fight with LionClan that day.”

     “LionClan?” Blazeheart repeated, confused. What did the ancient Clan of golden, maned cats have to do with BloodClan.

     Cloudtail explained, “Firestar united all four Clans together to fight BloodClan. Blackfoot hadn't gotten his nine lives yet, and Tallstar and Leopardstar were too weak from the earlier fights to lead their Clans into battle. So Firestar was put in charge of all four Clans for the attack, and we were all called LionClan after a vision StarClan gave him of a lion facing a tiger in battle.”

     “The battle was vicious,” Cloudtail recalled. “We lost Whitestorm that day.” At Blazeheart's confused glance, he explained, “Whitestorm was Firestar's first deputy, and Sorreltail's father.” The tortoiseshell she-cat dipped her head, grief gleaming briefly in her eyes. “He was one of the noblest cats I ever knew. He was killed by Bone, BloodClan's deputy. After he killed Whitestorm, apprentices from three Clans worked together to kill him in revenge. Bramblestar was one of them.”

     Silentstorm's ears perked forward in shock. “Really?” It was hard for her to imagine the noble ThunderClan leader as ever being an apprentice.

     Brightheart nodded. “It was him, Tawnypelt, Feathertail, and Stormfur. But he wasn't the only one. WindClan lost their deputy, Deadfoot, and a lot of warriors died too.”

     “Not all of them allies,” Cloudtail snorted. “I wasn't sad to see Darkstripe go when Graystripe finally killed him.”

     Silentstorm tipped her head curiously. “Darkstripe? Who is that?” The name sounded vaguely familiar, but she couldn't quite recall.

     To her surprise, it was Sorreltail who answered, in a hateful growl. “He was Tigerstar's little follower,” she spat. “A cowardly sort of bully who did whatever Tigerstar wanted. He was a warrior of ThunderClan, but after plotting with Tigerstar, Firestar exiled him.” She paused, taking a moment to compose herself. “I wandered from camp as a kit,” she explained. “I saw Darkstripe talking with the ShadowClan deputy, Blackfoot, on our territory. He fed me deathberries to try and kill me, so I wouldn't tell any cat what I'd seen.”

     Silentstorm stiffened, gasping, “That's horrible!” She had known Tigerstar had been evil, and so had several of his followers, but who would feed deathberries to an innocent kit?

     Sorreltail growled her agreement. “He was a traitor and a coward,” she grunted. “But after Tigerstar died, he didn't really have anything to fight for. He was killed after trying to attack Firestar, his last act of loyalty to Tigerstar.”

     “I didn't see Darkstripe die,” Brightheart mewed. “But I saw a lot of good warriors die that day. I remember how scared I was. There were more cats than I'd ever seen before, all of them tearing and screeching and mauling, trying to kill each other. It was only when Firestar finally killed Scourge that the battle was finished, and he lost a life before he was finally able to beat him.” She shuddered. “I hoped that we would never have to face a battle like that again.”

     Blazeheart hesitated, before mewing, “But you did. You all fought in the Dark Battle, didn't you?”

     He saw the gaze of every elder darken, all of them looking away uncomfortably at the mention of that battle. “Yes, we all fought in that one,” Millie murmured. The elderly she-cat's gaze grew distant, as though lost in memories.

     “Before that battle, I never believed in StarClan, or the Dark Forest,” Cloudtail rasped. “I thought it was all a bunch of nonsense queens told their kits to keep them from breaking the warrior code. But that day, I saw all the spirits I had never believed in, fighting like TigerClan, either to kill us or save us.”

     Sorreltail fixed the warriors with a stern gaze. “I know Breeze seems threatening now,” she growled. “But as bad as he and his rogues are, he's just another threat the Clans have to overcome. We've weathered storms like this before, and we'll do it again. BloodClan, the Dark Forest, Breeze and his rogues, there's always going to be threats out there that want to hurt the Clans. But as long as we fight together, we can overcome anything.”

     Blazeheart listened with cautious optimism. He wanted to believe her. If the Clans truly had faced such trials in the past, and had overcome them, surely they could do the same with Breeze?

     There was a pause, then Sorreltail's bright mew broke the tense silence. “Well, I've had enough of reliving dark memories,” she joked, stretching out her limbs. She stood, shaking bits of moss from her pelt. “I think I fancy a walk in the woods.”

     “Not alone, you're not,” Silentstorm mewed firmly. “It's too dangerous to go alone.”

     Sorreltail mewed easily, “Then why don't you three come with me? I could use some company.”

     The three warriors agreed easily. Silentstorm and her denmates followed Sorreltail out of the hazel bush, escorting the elderly she-cat out into the forest. As they made their way into the woods, Silentstorm heard Sorreltail take in a deep breath. “Ah, it's nice to take in the fresh forest air again,” Sorreltail purred. “As nice as retirement is, I do miss the forest.”

     “I can't imagine giving up the life of a warrior,” Ambertalon mewed. “I wouldn't know what to do with all my time!”

     Sorreltail let out a rasping laugh. “Sometimes, your body doesn't give you any choice,” she chuckled. “When your joints start getting as stiff as mine, we'll see how easy you think it is to keep up with patrols.”

     “Fair enough,” Ambertalon mewed. The three cats continued in silence for a while, following an easy path through the trees.

     Suddenly, Sorreltail stiffened. Silentstorm heard her give a low growl, her nose twitching as her pelt began to bristle. “What is it?” she asked the elder.

     “That scent,” she growled. Without further warning, she took off at a brisk trot, forcing the warriors to follow after her. The elder pressed her muzzle to the ground, slowing as she came upon the roots of an oak tree.

     “This is where we were hunting earlier,” Blazeheart told her. “Ambertalon and I found this weird scent, but we couldn't figure out what it was.”

     Silentstorm's pelt prickled uneasily. “That sounds like the scent I found after the Gathering,” she commented. She flicked her ears towards the elder, asking, “Sorreltail, do you recognize that scent?”

     She had never heard Sorreltail spit so viciously. “Of course I do!” she snapped, digging her claws into the dirt. “I'll never forget that scent to the day I die. That's the scent of the cat who tried to kill me!” Silentstorm stiffened in shock as Sorreltail spat, “It's Darkstripe's scent!”

     Blazeheart was stunned. “But Darkstripe is dead!” he reminded Sorreltail. He couldn't understand what she was saying. He didn't want to understand.

     She whirled on him, amber eyes blazing with fury. “You think I don't know that!” she snapped. “Darkstripe went to the Dark Forest after he died. I fought against him in the Dark Battle. But he got away.” Sorreltail froze, horror glazing over her eyes. “He should still be in the Dark Forest. With the others. So that means...”

     Blazeheart had never before felt the depths of horror that overcame him now. All of the stories he had ever been told as a kit, all the tales of long-dead traitors coming back to eat naughty kittens, all the tales of Tigerstar and Brokenstar, and Firestar's noble sacrifice, were coming true before his eyes. The terror of a forest of monstrous spirits coming back to kill them, the chaos of a battle with cats fighting as savagely as badgers, all played out before his eyes. If Sorreltail was right, it was all going to happen again. He was in one of the tales of his kithood, and this time, he couldn't see the happy ending.

     Silentstorm felt no such shock. All she felt was fury. _Shade, you lied to me!_ she roared inside her mind, all of her hatred and rage towards the misty spirit playing out in her head. Shade had told her about her alliance with the living rogue, letting her believe that Breeze was her only ally. She hadn't given any clue that this was what she had been planning. But now, she could see that this was Shade's doing, that this was what had been coming all along, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. As she stood, bristling with hatred, claws stabbing into the dirt, Ambertalon voiced what every cat was thinking.

     “The Dark Forest is back.”

END OF BOOK THREE

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And no, I will not be answering any questions about this. :P Except, no, it won't just be another The Last Hope-style battle. I promise I'm going to change it up.
> 
> Not totally satisfied with the changing up of POV in this chapter, or the storytelling by the elders, but whatever. It's still a good way to finish off this book, I think. :P
> 
> Well, not totally finish it off. I do have those three bonus chapters I keep talking about. And yes, I will get to those, I promise. They're next on the agenda. But this is still the end of the story of Book Three, so that's why it says that at the bottom.
> 
> Anyway, see you all next book, and I hope you all enjoy it. :D


	29. Bonus Chapter One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One cat must take responsibility

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 3: Waning Moon  
Bonus Chapter One

     Tigerstar stared blankly ahead of him, dull shock making his mind feel hazy. His Clan had just erupted into civil war, torn apart by Shrewfoot, who had led half of the Clan in an uprising against him. With the help of RiverClan and ThunderClan warriors, Shrewfoot had been defeated and chased away. But with how empty the Clan seemed with all the traitors gone, and with how devastated the remaining cats seemed, Tigerstar didn't feel like he had won anything.

     He was torn from his thoughts by the sound of Mistystar's voice. “We must return to our own Clan now,” the she-cat announced. RiverClan's leader looked surprisingly haggard – had she lost a life? She was leaning against one of her Clanmates, a young warrior Tigerstar didn't recognize. Mistystar glanced at a scrawny tabby who stood nearby. “We can escort you back to WindClan, if you like,” she offered. With a shock, Tigerstar recognized Darkbreeze, the daughter of his fellow trainee Breezepelt. He hadn't realized there were WindClan cats in his camp as well. He scanned the clearing, looking for more, but he soon realized Darkbreeze was the only WindClan cat there. How had that happened?

     “I would appreciate that very much,” Darkbreeze said, dipping her head respectfully to the leader. Her whiskers twitched in amusement as she mewed, “I have a lot of explaining to do for Ashstar.”

     “We must leave as well,” Bramblestar added. “We will see you again at the next Gathering, Tigerstar.” He hesitated, then added sincerely, “Good luck to you and your Clan.”

     Shame flooded Tigerstar. Ever since he had become leader of ShadowClan, he had tried to steal back the kits that his father, Rowanstar, had given to ThunderClan before he died. Rowanstar had been so weak and grief-stricken in the days before he died. Tigerstar had thought that ThunderClan had taken advantage of his old, sick father to make him give up the kits. But now, Tigerstar could see that Bramblestar truly cared about those kits as a father. And all that Tigerstar had done was waste his Clan's resources to try and steal kits from where they were happy and loved.

     Tigerstar dipped his head to his kin, trying to express all the respect that he had failed to show Bramblestar before. “And luck to you and yours,” he murmured. He knew that Bramblestar had no reason to trust him or wish him well now. He could only hope he could make up for his mistakes in the moons to come.

     Bramblestar gave an understanding blink in response, then turned away, beginning to gather his Clanmates together. Tigerstar watched the RiverClan and ThunderClan cats began grouping together, getting ready to leave. As he did, he noticed Mistystar speaking to a large, black-furred apprentice. He almost didn't recognize her, until he saw the white streak between her eyes, and the unfocused glaze to her gray eyes. He realized it had to be Silentpaw, the blind ThunderClan apprentice. He wasn't sure why Mistystar was looking at the ThunderClan cat with such fondness, but as Mistystar left the apprentice behind to join her Clanmates, he put it out of his mind.

     Finally, the two groups made their way out of ShadowClan's camp. Tigerstar watched wearily as the RiverClan and ThunderClan cats slipped out of the thorn tunnel entrance, disappearing into the pine forest beyond. As they left, white flecks began to fall from the sky, twisting and whirling before coming to settle on the grass below. The first snows of leafbare had come.

     Once they were gone, Tigerstar was struck by just how quiet the camp was. He realized with a shock that only five warriors were left. Specklefoot was licking a wound on Dewfrost's shoulder, while Applefur and Dawnpelt were sitting a ways apart, looking stunned by everything that had happened. Marshcloud sat apart from her older denmates, sitting near the elder's den as she tried to lick a nasty gash on her flank. The young she-cat had only earned her warrior name a few days ago. Now, both of her parents, and her old mentor, had been exiled along with the rest of the traitors. Tigerstar almost couldn't bear to look at the depths of grief in her expression.

     From her spot standing next to Tigerstar, Olivenose murmured, “We've lost so many of our cats.” He glanced briefly at his mate, feeling a rush of warmth. As much as he had messed up in the last few moons, he knew that he would never regret making Olivenose his deputy. She had pulled her Clan together and had done the work of both leader and deputy when Tigerstar had been too foolish to realize he wasn't pulling his weight. Her belly sagged with the weight of their kits; it wouldn't be long now before they were born.

     The thought had barely left his head when Olivenose suddenly stiffened, eyes flying open as wide as moons. She stumbled forward a step, falling onto her chest as she let out a hair-raising wail. Fear made Tigerstar freeze, his pelt bristling. “What is it?” he demanded, voice shaking in fear. “What's wrong?”

     “My stomach!” Olivenose wailed, eyes screwed up tight against the pain. Tigerstar could see her claws digging into the earth as the queen tried to steady herself. The sight of her in pain yanked Tigerstar out of his shock; he rushed to her side, trying to steady her, and giving her soothing licks to her cheek.

     He tried to fight the wave of panic that came with his realization. _The kits! They're coming!_ The leader was so lost in his fear that he almost didn't notice two cats approaching. Twigclaw had been weaving among his Clanmates, trying to treat their injuries, but now he was at Olivenose's side, supporting her as she tried to rise. Olivenose's apprentice, Smokepaw, was there as well. The apprentice was young, but Tigerstar could see a look of steely calm in her green eyes that reminded him strongly of Olivenose. “Come on, Olivenose,” she was telling her mentor in a cool, even tone. “We'll help you through this.”

     Tigerstar tried to follow as they started leading Olivenose towards the nursery, but Twigclaw cut him off with a sharp flick of his stumpy tail. “No, Tigerstar,” he ordered sharply. “Your Clan needs you out here, and you'll only be in the way.” Tigerstar took a half-step back in surprise. He had never heard the medicine cat speak so sharply, or glare quite as angrily as he was now.

     The tom hesitated. All he wanted was to be beside his mate and help her through his pain. But slowly, Twigclaw's words began to sink in. He had promised every cat that he was going to be a better leader now, that he would put his Clan's needs above his own, and be loyal to their needs. Twigclaw was more than right to be angry with him; he had ignored his medicine cat's advice when Twigclaw had only been trying to help ShadowClan. But now, he had to listen. If he wanted to prove himself, then had had to really step up and be a leader.

     “Yes, Twigclaw,” he murmured, lowering his head. Twigclaw watched his leader a moment longer, then turned briskly away, helping Smokepaw lead Olivenose into the nursery.

     Once they were gone, Tigerstar turned shakily back to his Clanmates. There were so few of them left. Five warriors, two elders, and too many apprentices for any of them. He could see them now, watching him, hope mixed with wariness in their eyes. He had betrayed their trust before; now, they were looking to him. He had to be the leader they deserved.

     “Alright,” he said, forcing himself to lift his chin, despite his own exhaustion. “Let's start repairing the camp.”

**SCENEBREAK**

     “Okay, Tigerstar,” Twigclaw called. “You can come in now.”

     Hardly daring to breathe, Tigerstar slipped through the bramble thicket, shaking the snow from his pelt as he stepped into the nursery. The only cats inside were Olivenose and Smokepaw. The dark cream she-cat was looking over her mentor, something like pride in her eyes. “You did good, Olivenose,” he head the apprentice say.

     As weak as Olivenose was, she managed to lift her muzzle, brushing it against Smokepaw's. “No, you did good,” she told her apprentice. “Not every cay would be able to get through a birthing as well as you just did, and still be able to help.”

     “Olivenose is right.” Both she-cats looked up in surprise as Tigerstar spoke. He looked at Smokepaw, feeling pride for his sister's kit. “I'm impressed. You acted with the maturity of a warrior today.”

     Smokepaw flattened her ears back in surprise, pride gleaming in her eyes. “Thank you, Tigerstar,” she managed. She dipped her head respectfully to her leader and deputy, then began backing out of the den, leaving the couple alone with each other.

     Tigerstar looked over his mate, heart pounding in his chest. His heart sank as he realized there were no kits nursing at her belly. “Are... are they...?” he asked, unable to finish his question. Terrified thoughts buzzed in his brain. Every cat had been eating so poorly the last moon, and Olivenose had just fought in a very hard battle. What if the kits were...

     Those thoughts halted in their tracks as Olivenose shifted her tail. Tigerstar saw a tiny kitten wriggling, pawing at her mother's belly as she suckled. His breath caught. She was tiny, even for a newborn, but he could see his dark tabby pelt in her wet fur, and patches of Olivenose's ginger.

     “She's beautiful...” he breathed. Tigerstar lowered himself onto his belly, gazing with wonder at the kitten. He had never felt such strong love before as he felt for this tiny scrap of fur. “Is she the only one?”

     “Yes,” Olivenose told him. There was sadness in her tone, but as she looked at her lone daughter, there was only love in her eyes. “Twigclaw says that it might be because of how little there's been to eat. I only went into labor because of the stress the battle took on my body, so she's a little early, but not so early that she can't survive. He says she'll be just fine.”

     Tigerstar flinched. The battle had only happened because he had been a terrible leader, and Olivenose might not have eaten so badly if he'd provided better for his Clan. But as he gazed at his daughter, he found that he couldn't regret anything at the moment. All he felt was love for his kit. “Have you thought of a name for her?” he breathed.

     Olivenose gave a small nod. “I was thinking maybe Aspenkit,” she told him.

     The kit squirmed as Olivenose spoke. Tigerstar purred, warmth filling his chest. “Hello, Aspenkit,” he mewed, touching his nose to Aspenkit's fur. She wriggled a little at his touch, but kept suckling, her back legs kicking a little behind her.

     For the briefest of moments, Tigerstar wondered whether he would be as happy as he was now if he was looking over Dovewing's litter, instead of Olivenose's. Moons and moons ago, he had loved the ThunderClan warrior. She was compassionate, funny, and sweet. He had really thought that they would have a future together. But now, that was in the past. Looking at his precious daughter, and the mate he loved more than StarClan, Tigerstar knew that he had no regrets.

      _I hope that you're happy now, Dovewing,_ he thought, wondering if it was possible that the far-seeing queen was watching this moment. He pictured her, laying in the nursery with her sons bouncing around her, her mate Bumblestripe curled beside her. He imagined her and Bumblestripe happy together and loving each other, and hoped that it was true. _I know that I am._

     Tigerstar rose to his paws, circling around to Olivenose's back, and lowering himself to the ground again. The massive tabby curled around Olivenose, supported the exhausted she-cat as she rested her head against his paws. He began licking between her ears, giving her long, soothing strokes as she closed her eyes. Aspenkit kept sucking, snuggled tight against her mother's belly. For a while, the new family lay together in silence, the quiet noises that Aspenkit made the only sounds.

     Finally, Olivenose murmured, “Did I miss anything important out there?”

     Tigerstar shook his head. “Not anything dire. We started rebuilding a lot of the dens, and I made Graykit and Nightkit apprentices,” he told her. “With their mother exiled, I figured they shouldn't stay in the nursery, and they're old enough.” He sighed. “But there's not nearly enough cats to mentor all of the apprentices we have now. Every mentor except for you was exiled, so all of the apprentices other than Smokepaw need new mentors. I didn't assign any mentors for Graypaw and Nightpaw, or any of the others, for now.”

     Olivenose sighed. The more they talked, the more the tortoiseshell was starting to look awake; or else, she was trying to appear so. “We only have five warriors,” she murmured. “That's not going to be nearly enough to feed us through leafbare, let alone enough to train the apprentices.”

     Tigerstar nodded, saying, “I can't just promote the apprentices. None of them are older than nine moons.” He paused, trying to think. “Do you think I should pull Ratscar and Toadfoot out of retirement to mentor them?”

     “Toadfoot, maybe,” Olivenose mewed. “But his joints are so stiff these days. And I don't know if Ratscar could keep up with any apprentice with his crippled leg.” She thought for a moment. “If there's seven apprentices, we could give each of the warriors, you, and me each an apprentice, that would be exactly enough. But how are we supposed to focus on hunting and rebuilding when every single able-bodied cat in the Clan is teaching an apprentice?”

     Tigerstar couldn't think of a single answer. As much work as they'd gotten done that day, he still felt only despair. If there weren't enough cats to hunt for the Clan come leafbare, there was no chance they would survive the season. He curled more protectively around his mate, thinking of the feeble Aspenkit withering away with nothing to feed her. As much as he racked his brain, he couldn't think of any way to make the Clan survive the coming season.

     Was it going to be Tigerstar, after all, who destroyed ShadowClan?

     His thoughts were broken by Olivenose's weary mew. “We could recruit cats to ShadowClan.” He looked down at her in shock. Though she was still exhausted by the birth, and the battle, he could see a determined gleam to his mate's eyes.

     “What, bring outsiders into the Clan?” Tigerstar repeated in surprise. He paused, taking a moment to think it over. “It's not a bad idea,” he mused, his tail thumping against the dusty floor of the nursery as he considered it. “I'm not sure how open the Clan would be to taking in outsiders, and it would be hard to trust anyone after Shrewfoot. But we _need_ more cats if we're going to make it through leafbare alive.”

     Suddenly, a crazy, half-mad thought occurred to him. Slowly, he murmured, “I could go to twolegplace.”

     Olivenose looked at him blankly. “You think you'll find good rogue hunters in twolegplace?” she asked, clearly confused.

     Tigerstar shook his head. “There isn't time to hunt down rogues,” he explained. “We don't know where rogues make their nests around here, and even if we do find them, there's no guarantee we can trust them.” He lifted his chin. “But in twolegplace, I can find kittypets.”

     “Kittypets?” Olivenose repeated, stiffening in surprise.

     He flattened his ears, embarrassed. He knew the idea was strange; while ThunderClan was more than willing to take in any stray they could find, ShadowClan was not always as welcoming of soft kittypets. But he knew it was the best option. “They'll be easier to find; wherever there are twolegs, there's kittypets, and they leave enough of a stink that they're easy to track.”

     Olivenose didn't look entirely convinced. “Even so, you'll have a hard time convincing a bunch of pampered twoleg pets to come live in a half-starved Clan,” she mewed doubtfully.

     “I know,” he mewed. “But there has to be some out there who want to know what it's like to run wild. And I feel like right now, the Clan is going to be more willing to trust soft kittypets than hardened rogues they don't know. They're scared and starving; any outsider is going to look like a threat, but they just might be willing to accept cats as apparently harmless as kittypets.” He didn't know why, but somehow, he just knew that twolegplace was the right place to go. He almost felt something was tugging his paws towards the vast stretch of twoleg dens, and the ugly stretches of black stone thunderpaths. Without being told, somehow, he knew that he would find his future Clanmates there.

     Olivenose watched him for a moment, her expression unreadable. Finally, she nodded. Something like amusement almost sparked in her eyes. “I never thought I'd see the day when a Tigerstar wanted to recruit kittypets into ShadowClan,” she rasped, a merry gleam in her eyes. “I think you're right. As strange as it feels to say, I think recruiting kittypets is the right thing to do for ShadowClan.” Her gaze hardened. “But if you're going to do it, you should go tomorrow,” she cautioned him. “If you give the Clan too much time, they might not accept any newcomers. And we need more cats if we're going to survive.”

     Tigerstar nodded firmly. “Then I'll go at dawn tomorrow,” he declared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just meant to /start/ this chapter tonight. Honestly, I did.
> 
> Anyway, lucky you guys, you get three chapters and a new cover all in one night! Here is the first of the three bonus chapters for Waning Moon.
> 
> As you can see, this takes place between the end of the Broken Shadow, and the beginning of Waning Moon. It's going to cover the recruiting of the new ShadowClan members. Not something majorly important to see, I supposed, but I felt like the arrival of so many new cats in ShadowClan deserved more explanation than I was able to give through the POVs of ThunderClan cats. So we have these bonus chapters.
> 
> This was surprisingly easy to write, and Tigerstar is surprisingly easy to write. We will be sticking to his POV for all three of these chapters.
> 
> More will come soon, I hope. Then, I can start Book Four.


	30. Bonus Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tigerstar travels to twolegplace to look for recruits

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 3: Waning Moon  
Bonus Chapter Two

     Dawn was just breaking over the forest as Tigerstar slipped through the woods. His paws hardly made a sound on the freshly-fallen snow. All around him, the branches of the pines were weighed down by thick clumps of snow.

      He had told Twigclaw about his trip to twolegplace before he'd left. Twigclaw had seemed alarmed at the idea of asking kittypets to join the Clan, but Tigerstar had managed to convince him, and had told him to look after the Clan while he was gone. Tigerstar felt bad about leaving his Clan behind so soon after agreeing to be there for them, but he knew this time it was the best thing he could do for them. ShadowClan needed more warriors if it was to survive.

      As he made his way through the marshes, he noticed a twoleg den through the corner of his eye. Tigerstar sniffed curiously in the direction of the den, only to recoil in disgust as he recognized it. The distant den was the home to two aggressive kittypets. They had tormented ShadowClan warriors and killed his father's apprentice, Talonpaw, before Tigerstar had been born.

     He curled his lip, giving a low growl. _Those are two kittypets who are definitely never joining ShadowClan,_ he thought darkly to himself.

      The tabby traveled further through the woods, away from the lake and the other Clan territories. In his early days of leadership, he had scouted areas beyond Clan territory for places to hunt. On one of his longest trips, he had discovered a large twolegplace, beyond the pine forest, and any Clan territory. That was where he knew he would find the kittypets that would rebuild the ranks of his Clan.

      The sun had come up over the tree line by the time he reached the edge of the twolegplace. The trees had thinned out to almost nothing; Tigerstar felt exposed with no trees to shelter him. He slunk low against the ground, following the edge of a thunderpath as he padded through the first stretch of twoleg dens.

     His first thought was that this was nothing like any twolegplace he had ever seen before. The dens were all packed together tightly, looming far over his head. There wasn't a patch of grass or a garden in sight. Instead, paths made of paler stone ran alongside the thunderpaths. Tigerstar was wary, but the monsters didn't seem to stray into the paler paths, so he decided it was safe enough to use them.

     As Tigerstar skirted along the path, he had to fight to keep from trembling. Everything around him was just so _loud_. Monsters were moving everywhere, more than he had ever seen before, zooming past him with frightening speed. Twolegs were walking along the pale paths, chattering to each other in their strange twoleg voices. Tigerstar noticed them glanced at him; pelt bristling, he slipped off to the side, slinking along the edge of a stone den, turning the first corner he could into a more secluded stretch of path. 

     The path he had taken now was narrow, closed in by stone walls and tall dens. The pale path stretched on both sides of a smaller thunderpath. No twolegs or monsters were in sight. Tigerstar immediately breathed easier, his pelt smoothing out.

     Tigerstar wandered a while, following the more secluded, smaller paths and keeping away from the more open areas. A few times, he caught whiffs of other cats over the stench of twolegs and their monsters, but he didn't see any, and the scents smelled old. There were strange objects he didn't recognize, and scents. He flattened his ears, slinking lower along the ground, quickening his pace. This twolegplace made his fur stand on end. And so far, there was no sign of any gardens, or any kittypets.

     Without warning, he heard the thundering of paws, and savage barking. Tigerstar whirled around, back arching in fear. A massive dog was bearing down on him, jaws slavering and eyes burning with rage. With a screech, Tigerstar turned and ran, hurtling away from the dog as fast as his paws could carry him.

     “ _Re-ee-owr!_ Tigerstar screeched as the dog's fangs caught his tail. He managed to slip free, tripping over his own paws to try and get away from the monstrous animal.

     Before he knew what he was doing, he had scrambled right into the middle of a massive thunderpath in his efforts to get away from the dog. The beast was gone, abandoning the chase once his prey was on the thunderpath. But Tigerstar barely had time to appreciate that before a thunderous noise was bearing down on him. He looked up, freezing as he saw a massive monster screaming right towards him.

     Yowling in terror, Tigerstar scrambled to his paws, tearing away from the monster as fast he could move. He felt the wind tear past him as the monster just barely missed him. Blind with terror, Tigerstar kept hurtling forward, nearly crashing into a wall on the pale path on the other side.

     Tigerstar just crouched against the ground for a few moments, dazed and shaking with leftover fear. He tried to get his breathing back down to normal, trying to stop the terrified pounding in his chest.

     “Not bad for a forest cat.”

     The tabby looked up in surprise. A fluffy she-cat was sitting a few paces away, watching the leader calmly. He blinked, taking in her pale cream pelt and darkly marked face, legs, and tail with surprise. “You are a forest cat, aren't you?” she asked. As she shifted her head, a gentle clinking sound came from the small silver ball on her blue collar. “I've seen your kind before. Scrawny, usually smelling of leaves and grass. Not many city cats smell like that.”

     Tigerstar panted, trying to smooth out his fear-bristled pelt. He didn't want to look like a scared kit in front of this cat. “City cat?” he questioned.

     “Cities are what places like this are called,” the she-cat answered calmly. “Lots of houses and buildings crowded together, and thunderpaths. Lots of house folk live in this place.”

     The tabby flattened his ears, unable to follow all of the unfamiliar terms. “Erm, right,” was all he mewed. “So, are you a kittypet?”

     She nodded. “Yes,” she told him. There was something no-nonsense to the she-cat's tone, a surprising intelligence in her blue eyes. “I snuck out of my house folk's den for the day. I wanted a bit of fresh air.” She paused. “My name is Buffy. What's yours?”

     “Tigerstar,” he grunted. The leader felt calmer, so he rose to his paws, stretching out his limbs before rising to his full height. Buffy watched as he did, uncertainty flickering in her eyes for a moment. Tigerstar wondered how he must look to her. Half-starved, riddled with scars, massive and muscular. He must look like every murderous forest demon she had ever heard stories about as a kit. And yet, even with her pelt bristling uncomfortably, she stayed where she was, watching him with a look of deliberate calm.

     Buffy asked, “So, Tigerstar, what brings you to the city?”

     He hesitated. Buffy looked as soft as soft could be. Her pelt was smooth and shiny, free of any scars or tangles, her belly was plump, and her eyes were bright. Tigerstar didn't think he'd ever seen a more pampered cat in his life. He wondered whether such a soft cat would last more than a few days in the wild.

     But after a moment's thought, he remembered that he didn't have many options. This was the first kittypet he had seen all day. He had to try.

     “I'm the leader of a Clan of cats in the woods,” he told her. Buffy's dark-furred ears flicked forward with interest. “We live wild in the forest, hunting our own prey and defending our territory from other Clans.”

     Buffy blinked, eyes wide. “That sounds like a hard life,” she observed thoughtfully.

     Tigerstar couldn't lie to her. “It is,” he told her. “Recently, some of my warriors rose in rebellion against me. About half of my warriors left with them, so we barely have enough warriors to hunt. And with leafbare coming, food will be even more scarce. We might not make it.”

     “Why did they rise against you?” Buffy asked, eyeing the leader shrewdly.

     The leader flinched. “I might not have made some of the best decisions,” he admitted. “A lot of it was my own fault. But their leader, Shrewfoot, thought that cats with impure blood didn't belong in the Clan. I'm halfClan, so she thought I wasn't fit to lead.”

     He was pleased to see a flash of indignation in the she-cat's eyes. “That's just fluff-brained,” she sniffed, giving a lash of her tail. “Who cares what kind of blood any cat has? What matters is that cats are willing to be loyal to you and help you survive. Especially if life in your forest is as hard as it sounds.”

     “I agree,” Tigerstar rumbled. “Which is why I came here. ShadowClan needs more warriors if we're going to make it through leafbare. I came to twolegplace to try and recruit kittypets to join my Clan.”

     Buffy regarded the leader thoughtfully for several moments. Finally, to Tigerstar's shock, she gave a short nod. “Alright. Then I want to join.”

     Tigerstar stared at Buffy, stunned. “What?” he managed, tail bristling in shock as it twitched behind him. He had expected that a she-cat that pampered would take far more convincing before just agreeing to join his wild Clan. He considered her suspiciously for a moment, telling her, “This isn't some sort of game. This is life and death for my Clan, not a chance for some pampered kitty to play wild cat for a few days before going home.”

     Buffy glared at him, lashing her tail and growling, “Do you really think I'm such a fool? Just because I'm a kittypet doesn't mean I'm an idiot.” Tigerstar flattened his ears, the she-cat's sharp tone pushing him to shame. “I know the stakes. But I also know that you came here to help your Clan cats, and any leader like that would look out for your Clan's best interests, and help them.”

     “Well, yes,” Tigerstar agreed warily. “But that doesn't mean I do their hunting for them or hold their paw. If you joined, you'd have to learn to hunt and fight, and contribute to the Clan. You'd be hungry a lot of the time; you would have to be ready to give your life to protect your Clan, if necessary.”

     To his surprise, his warning only filled Buffy's expression with greater joy. “That's perfect,” she said. “If that's how a Clan lives, cats protecting each other and willing to die for each other, that's the kind of life I want.” She rose to her paws, giving a fond glance back to her stomach. “Because that's the kind of life I want for my kits.”

     Tigerstar blinked in surprise. When Buffy had been crouching, he hadn't been able to see the roundness of her belly, and had just assumed she was plump from being overfed. But now, he could see how awkwardly she padded towards him with her rounded belly, and as she drew closer, he could finally smell the milk-scent over the stench of the city. “You're expecting kits?” he mewed.

     “Yes.” Buffy twisted her head around, smoothing out the ruffled fur of her belly with a few swift licks. “It's my first litter.” She looked back at Tigerstar, her gaze growing serious. “My house folk are wonderful, but I can't stay with them anymore. Kittypets don't get to raise their kits; house folk take them when they're young and give them to other house folk.”

     The leader stiffened. “That's horrible!” he gasped. A fierce wave of protectiveness came over him. The thought of any twoleg trying to take Aspenkit away from him made him want to tear out the fur of every twoleg in his path.

     “They're not trying to be cruel,” Buffy tried to defend her twolegs. “They don't know that I would miss them, and they just want to give them to good homes.” Her gaze grew determined, and she growled, “But I won't let them take my kits. I left my den today to run away and raise my kits on the street. But now, I see that there are other ways to live than as a street cat. If there's even a chance that my kits can have a life like you've described, and I can raise them without anyone taking them from me, I have to take it.”

     Tigerstar hesitated. His heart ached for the she-cat, but he had to be realistic. “I need to warn you. Clan life is not easy,” he told her gently. “Leafbare is coming, and kits don't always make it. The kits and queens are fed first, but the cold is so bitter, and prey so scarce, that not every kit survives before newleaf comes.”

     “There's no guarantee they would survive on the street either,” Buffy told him firmly. “Even if I stayed and let them be raised as kittypets, anything could happen. I want my kits to be raised somewhere where they can have other cats to support them, and where they know their mother will be there for them. I want to join your Clan, if you will have me.”

     The fierce determination in Buffy's eyes told Tigerstar that it wouldn't do any good to argue further. Buffy was determined to join, and he was becoming less and less convinced that she shouldn't. “Very well,” he murmured. “You can join my Clan.”

     Relief shone in her eyes. “Thank you,” she murmured.” After a moment, she shook herself briskly, mewing, “Well, come on, we haven't got all day.” She started off, a bewildered Tigerstar trotting after her.

     “Haven't got all day for what?” he asked.

     Buffy glanced back at him, amusement gleaming in her eyes. “For finding more cats to join your Clan,” she said. “I'm guessing your Clan will want you back at some point, and I don't think one clumsy queen is going to be enough to pull your cats through leafbare. We need to find you more kittypets to join ShadowClan. Come on, I'll help you find cats.”

     Tigerstar blinked in surprise. “Oh. Thank you!” He trotted briskly after her, surprised at the pace the pregnant queen was able to keep up.

**SCENEBREAK**

     The search went much easier with Buffy's help. She led him confidently through the twisting paths of the twolegplace, Tigerstar following after. “Kittypets aren't allowed outside much around here,” she told Tigerstar as they navigated the narrow pathways. “I think house folk think it's too dangerous for us with all thunderpaths. But sometimes, cats can get out. We meet in the streets sometimes, swap stories, play.” She flicked her tail. “Come on. I think Callie's window might be open today.”

     They finally reached a series of tall, thin buildings, squashed together. They all seemed rather similar to Tigerstar, impossible to tell apart. Buffy strolled up to one, meowing loudly. “Callie! Are you there?”

     For a few moments, there was no response. Then, a tortoiseshell-and-white face with a green collar under it appeared at the see-through square in the corner of the den. “Buffy! Great to see you!” the she-cat purred. “Hold on, I'll come out and join you.” Tigerstar noticed a gap between the see-through stuff and the wooden frame. Callie worked her head and forepaws through the gap, wriggling until she pulled through completely. She hopped down from the frame, landing softly on the pavement below and padding towards Tigerstar and Buffy.

     Callie blinked as she noticed Tigerstar. “Hi. Who are you?” she asked, coming to stand before Tigerstar and Buffy.

     Tigerstar opened his mouth to answer, only to pause in shock as he took in the tortoiseshell's full appearance. She had a strange, boxy appearance, her rump raised higher than the rest of her back. But strangest of all was her tail – it was missing entirely. There were no scars or stump of an injured tail; as far as Tigerstar could tell, this cat had never had a tail.

     While Tigerstar was gaping stupidly, Buffy took over the introductions. “Callie, this is Tigerstar,” she told the tortoiseshell. “Tigerstar, Callie. Tigerstar is the leader of a Clan of wild cats. He wants cats to join his Clan so they have enough cats to survive leafbare.”

     Callie's eyes lit up with interest. “You want cats to join? Are you considering kittypets?”

     “Yes, I'm considering any cat I can get,” Tigerstar told her. He liked the she-cat's enthusiasm, but wondered privately if that portrayed naivety rather than courage.

     “My house folk used to own another cat, and she lived most of her life as a rogue,” Callie told Tigerstar. “She used to tell me stories of running wild and hunting for her own food. I always wanted to know what it was like to live like that, but I never wanted to live alone.”

     “It would be hard living,” Buffy warned her. “Cats can starve in the wild, especially during leafbare.”

     Callie nodded. “I know that. But life as a kittypet doesn't really _mean_ anything. I can have all the food I want, and all I can really do is play and sleep all day. But if I were in a Clan, I would be hunting for myself and other cats. I could do something that really mattered. And I could live wild.” She turned her eager gaze on Tigerstar, asking, “Can I join your Clan?”

     Tigerstar hesitated a moment longer. After a moment, he realized that if he turned away every cat because they seemed too eager to join, he wasn't going to have many cats to take back. “Yes, you can join,” he told her.

     Her eyes lit up with joy. “Thank you, Tigerstar!” she purred. “I promise, I'll work really hard. I won't let you down.” She looked between Buffy and Tigerstar. “Can I come with you now?”

     Tigerstar started to answer, but Buffy shook her head. “House folk are going to start getting concerned if they see this many cats walking around on their own,” she told Callie. “Meet us by the back of the fish food place tonight after sundown.” She glanced at Tigerstar, waiting for his approval. He gave a short nod, seeing the sense in her words.

     For a moment, Callie looked disappointed. “Oh.” Then she perked up again, mewing, “I'll be here when you want me. Just don't leave without me!”

     “We won't,” Tigerstar promised. Together, he and Buffy turned away, leaving Callie behind as they continued on down the path again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... I wasn't entirely sure how the plot for this one would work out. It turned out to be four chapters instead of three (mostly because the part that was supposed to be in this chapter ended up being long enough to fill two chapters), and I didn't want to post any of the chapters until they were all written and I was sure how I wanted them all arranged. So here's another three chapters for ya. XD
> 
> Anyway, here we get to meet some of the kittypets! I hope you like seeing their personalities. ^^ I have to say, I really love writing Buffy, and Callie.
> 
> More coming... right now. :P


	31. Bonus Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tigerstar continues looking for new recruits

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 3: Waning Moon  
Bonus Chapter Three

     They didn't get far from Callie's nest before a new meow interrupted them. “Where do you think you're going?” A massive black-and-white tom and a lanky pale ginger she-cat rounded a corner, coming to stand before the two cats. Tigerstar eyed their ruffled fur and scarred pelts cautiously – these were no pampered house cats.

     He took a step forward. “My name is Tigerstar,” he mewed. “I'm here to ask –”

     “We don't care what you're asking,” the tom growled. His ice-blue eyes were cold with anger. “We don't like forest cats in these parts.”

     Buffy lashed her tail, growling to Tigerstar, “Don't bother with them. They wouldn't know a code of honor if it bit them on the nose.”

     “Yeah, well take your code somewhere else,” the she-cat hissed. Tigerstar spied a nasty tear in her ear; clearly, this she-cat was a fighter. “Forest cats bring nothing but trouble. We don't want you in our streets.”

     “Okay, we're going,” Tigerstar muttered. He would've stayed longer to argue, but he knew they didn't have time, and he didn't want to start any fights so far from his territory. Reluctantly, he slunk away, letting Buffy lead him on a path away from the hostile rogues.

     As they left the two behind, Buffy turned back to him. “Sorry about that,” she mewed. “Even rogues can have prejudices sometimes. It's not just a Clan thing.”

     “I understand,” Tigerstar mewed.

**SCENEBREAK**

     The sun was starting to climb lower in the sky, and Tigerstar was starting to become uneasy. They had visited a few more dens, but so far, all of the kittypets had declined Tigerstar's offer. He was beginning to wonder whether any other kittypets would want to join such an obviously-struggling Clan.

     “Sophie's nest is just this way,” Buffy was telling him. “She's always talking about how much she wants to learn to hunt, and how bored she is as a kittypet. I think she'll say yes.” Tigerstar only hoped she was right.

     They finally reached a new nest. This was larger than Callie's nest, with more clear squares. Buffy called out once again, “Sophie! Are you there?”

     Instead of coming from the nest, a young she-cat padded from around behind the nest. Tigerstar froze in shock at the sight of the odd cat. “Oh, hi Buffy,” the ginger tabby mewed. “I was trying to hunt. What's up?”

     Tigerstar couldn't stop his gaping, even though he knew he was being rude. If Callie had looked strange, Sophie looked even stranger. She had a longer body than most cats, with legs so short that her belly fur brushed against the ground. With her unusually short legs and long body, she looked more like a weasel than a cat. Tigerstar watched as the odd she-cat waddled towards Buffy, looking up both cats. “Who's your friend?”

     Before Buffy could answer, another short-legged cat appeared from behind the nest. He was a dark ginger tabby with pale green eyes. As Tigerstar turned his gaze to the tom, he narrowed his eyes, glaring up at Tigerstar. “Who are you?” he asked rudely.

     “Toby, don't be rude,” Sophie chided the tom. He gave a bad-tempered growl in response. She turned back to Tigerstar, mewing, “I'm sorry for my brother. He doesn't like it when cats stare.”

     Tigerstar finally managed to wrench his gaze away from the odd-looking cats. “Sorry,” he meowed. “I didn't mean to stare.”

     Sophie's gaze was bright with mirth. “I understand,” she said. “I know we look strange. But our entire litter looks like this, and so did our mother. Our mother told us that our short legs are passed down through our line, cat after cat after cat, and that we should be proud to have the proud stature of our ancestors.”

     Tigerstar just nodded, unsure of how to respond. He couldn't get over how strange Sophie and Toby appeared. But as he watched, he noticed that Sophie seemed able to move alright, if a little awkward to watch. He tried not to stare as he explained his predicament again, ignoring Toby's hostile glare.

     When he finished, Toby spat, “What a ridiculous idea! Why would any cat want to scrounge around the woods when there's house folk to look after us here?”

     Tigerstar glared at the unfriendly tom. Before he could retort, Sophie spoke up. “Can I join you?” She was looking up at Tigerstar with such hope in her eyes.

     Toby gaped at her. “What?” he demanded. “Why in the world would you want to be a dirty wild cat. Our house folk give us everything we could ever want!”

     “That's just the point,” Sophie told her brother softly. “I feel like a useless kit here. I just sit around all day doing nothing. All I ever wanted was to learn how to stand on my own four paws. If I join this Clan, I can learn how to hunt, and fight. I won't just be that weird cat with the short legs that no one thinks can look after herself.”

     The tom blinked, almost looking hurt. “I never thought of you like that,” he mewed. “You're my sister. If you join this Clan, I'll never see you again.” He pressed his muzzle against hers, begging, “Please don't leave!”

     Sophie regarded her brother sadly. “I'm sorry, Toby,” she murmured. “But I was never going to be happy as a kittypet. I want to go to the forest and be more than just a house cat.”

     Tigerstar watched the she-cat doubtfully. “I'm not sure... do you think you can hunt and fight with your legs like that?” he asked. He knew he was being rude, but he had to be sure before he welcomed the she-cat into his Clan. If she couldn't hunt and fight with the way her body was built, she could never be a true warrior.

     Unusual determination gleamed in the gentle she-cat's eyes. “I know I can!” she promised, a growl coming to her voice. “Please, Tigerstar, let me join! I promise I'll work harder than any cat. I'll train as hard as I have to. I just want to be a warrior.”

     Tigerstar hesitated a moment longer. Then, oddly, Silentpaw came to his mind. If ThunderClan could train a blind cat, and she could make it through the battle against Shrewfoot, Tigerstar supposed he could try and train a short-legged cat to be a warrior. “Very well,” he said. “You can join.”

     Her eyes lit up with joy. “Thank you, Tigerstar! I'll prove myself, I promise!”

     Toby was still staring at his sister in horrified shock. Despite his earlier rudeness, Tigerstar was beginning to feel bad for the tom. Despite his reservations about having _two_ cats with such strange legs trying to be warriors, he mewed, “You could always come with her.”

     The tabby recoiled, lip curled in a hiss. “Live wild? You mean, spend every day scrounging for food, trying not to starve, while living in a dirty bush as everything tries to kill me? No way!” He glared at his sister, hissing, “You might want to spend the rest of your life digging fleas out of your fur, but you wouldn't catch _me_ as a filthy forest cat!” With a final snarl, he turned and bounded away, surprising Tigerstar with his speed and coordination as he hopped up onto a wooden frame and slipped between the gap under the clear stuff.

     Sophie watched him go sadly. “I'll talk to him again,” she murmured. “I don't want the last words between us before I leave to be angry.” She sighed. “But he has to understand. This is what I want.”

     Buffy touched her nose to Sophie's ear, mewing, “Of course he'll understand. He's just sad that he's losing you.” She pulled back, saying, “We need you to meet us behind the fish food place by sundown. Callie will be there too. You can have until then to talk to Toby.”

     “Thank you, Buffy, and Tigerstar,” Sophie mewed. “I'll go back and talk to him now, but I'll meet you tonight.” She turned and bounded lightly away, disappearing behind the den.

**SCENEBREAK**

     “Pepper's den is next,” Buffy told Tigerstar. He was keeping a wary eye on the sun, which was disappearing over the line of twoleg dens. “I think we –”

     She paused as nearby scuffling came from the strange, large block resting against the nearby wall. The top of the block lifted a little, and a speckled gray face poked out. “Buffy?” the speckled tom asked, lifting his head out of the block.

     “Hi, Pepper,” Buffy greeted with a friendly wave of her tail. “Dumpster diving again?”

     Another face poked out of the block, a dark ginger tabby she-cat lifting her head beside the tom. “Hey, Buffy,” the she-cat greeted. Tigerstar was surprised how strong her voice sounded, especially compared to Sophie's soft mew, and Callie's friendly tone. “Who's your friend?”

     “This is Tigerstar,” Buffy told them. “Come down here and meet him.”

     For a moment, the she-cat disappeared back into the dumpster. Then, to Tigerstar's surprise, she emerged with a small rat dangling from her white muzzle. Pepper and the she-cat leaped down lightly from the dumpster. Both cats had leaner pelts than Tigerstar had seen on the other kittypets, and he spotted muscle under their lean pelts. The she-cat sported a light green collar, the tom a light blue. Pepper gave a flick of his tail, giving a friendly, “Hey,” in greeting to Tigerstar.

     “Tigerstar, this is Pepper and Mindy,” Buffy mewed, waving her tail towards the kittypets. “They live in the same house. Their house folk leave the house a lot, so Mindy and Pepper come out here to hunt and hang out.”

     Tigerstar's mouth was watering as he stared at Mindy's prey. Rat wasn't exactly the most appetizing prey, but his pelt was clinging to his bones from how poorly he'd been eating the last two moons. Any prey seemed like a feast to him now. Mindy seemed to notice his gaze; amusement gleamed in her eyes. “You want to share this?” she asked, nudging it towards the ShadowClan leader.

     “Sure,” he mewed, forcing himself not to leap up like an excited kit. “Thank you very much.” He padded forward, crouching over the rat across from Mindy. The rat tasted bitter on his tongue, but he forced himself to keep eating, just grateful to have a full meal for once.

     Mindy licked the last of the rat off her lips as she let Tigerstar eat the rest. “You looked like you needed that,” she mewed gruffly, though Tigerstar knew he wasn't mistaking the amusement in her eyes. “So, I'm guessing you're a forest cat?”

     “Yes.” Tigerstar hadn't felt so full in moons. He swiped his tongue across his lips, beginning to groom his paws and chest as he pushed away the leftover bones. “I'm the leader of a Clan of cats in the forest.” As he groomed, he explained ShadowClan's predicament to Pepper and Mindy. The kittypets listened in calm interest, offering no comment until Tigerstar finished his story.

     Pepper lowered his head, looking thoughtful for a moment. “The city can be chaotic,” he murmured. “I've always wondered what it's like to live in the forest, in the fresh air.”

     Mindy looked at him in surprise. “You think we can trust these wild cats?” she questioned, seeming to ignore that Tigerstar was standing right there. “Even if we left our Clanmates, we can get along well enough on our own in the city.”

     “We can't know for sure,” Pepper admitted. “But you can't act like scrounging through dumpsters and hunting rats is the best way to live. Our house folk aren't around that often anymore – we were thinking of leaving soon anyway.”

     “Hmm.” Mindy turned her narrowed gaze on Tigerstar. He felt like the she-cat was measuring him, trying to judge whether she could trust him. “Every cat knows that forest cats are dangerous rogues who fight over every mouse. Why should I believe that you and your Clan are any different?”

     Tigerstar fought back an irritated retort. He had no right to brag about his Clan's honor, with how poor a leader he'd been lately. All he said was, “If you don't like how the Clan is when you get there, you can leave. I won't hold it against you. But if you lived in ShadowClan, you would have the support of your Clanmates. We hunt to feed the weakest and youngest first, and we fight to defend each other in battle. We follow a warrior code that gives us honor.”

     Mindy was still gazing at him with narrowed eyes. Finally, she mewed, “Alright. I'm willing to try forest life; anything's got to be better than dumpster scraps and rat. But if I don't like it, I'm leaving. I won't stay and be some kind of bully of a rogue.”

     “I wouldn't ask you to,” Tigerstar promised her. He glanced over at Pepper. “What about you?” he asked.

     “Oh, I'm in,” Pepper assured him. “I want to know more about this Clan of yours, and how all of your warriors work together to survive.”

     Buffy purred. “Wonderful. I thought you'd want to join.” She stood, waving her tail for Tigerstar to do the same. “Meet us behind the fish food place after sundown. We'll be there soon, we just have to ask one more cat.”

     Mindy and Pepper mewed their farewells as Buffy led Tigerstar away down a different path. The sun had set behind the dens now, the sky growing darker. “Are you sure we have time to visit another cat?” Tigerstar asked. “The others will be expecting us soon.”

     “Don't worry, it isn't far,” Buffy assured him.

     His uneasiness grew as they drew into the darker, more decrepit streets. His lip curled at the stench of rat; his hackles raised, tail lashing uneasily. “Are there really kittypets who live back here?”

     “We're not here to find a kittypet,” came Buffy's reply. “There's a rogue who lives back here.”

     “A rogue?” Tigerstar blinked in surprise. “I thought you were taking me to meet kittypets.” His old reservations about taking in rogues rose to mind.

     Buffy glanced back at him, fixing him with a stern glance. “What, you're fine with taking in kittypets, but you have a problem with rogues?” she pointed out wryly. Tigerstar couldn't find a fitting reply. “Who's the prejudiced one now?”

     Tigerstar hesitated. He still wasn't sure that his Clanmates would be overly trusting of a rogue, but with how capable some of the kittypets he was taking in were, he supposed it wasn't too different. “Sorry,” he apologized. “But how well do you know this rogue?”

     “Very well,” Buffy told him. “He used to live near my house, but when the dog moved in next door, he moved his nest. He's a very good friend, and I think he would make a great warrior.”

     The leader tipped his head. “Is he the father of your kits?” he asked. He had been wondering for a while whether Buffy would lead him to her mate.

     Buffy looked surprised. “Him? No, he's not the father.” She hesitated. “My house folk picked my mate for me. I don't love him, but I like him well enough. I told him that I was going to run away so I could raise my kits.” She shrugged. “He likes being a kittypet, and he doesn't want to leave that life to come with me. But he wished me luck.” Tigerstar nodded in understanding. She gave a brisk shake, mewing, “Come on. Let's go find your last recruit.” Tigerstar was still unsure, but after all of the cats Buffy had introduced him to, he trusted her judgment. He didn't offer any more complaints as Buffy led him through the paths.

     They came upon a series of tipped-over gray bins. “Vine, are you home?” Buffy called out, approaching one of the bins lying on its side.

     Tigerstar stiffened as a massive gray-and-white tabby tom strolled out of the bin, stretching out his limbs. The cat was _massive_ , as tall as Tigerstar, and just as muscular. His pelt was riddled with scars, most noticeably two long, jagged scars that stretched across the side of his neck. His green eyes glowed in the growing darkness, gleaming as he recognized the she-cat. “Hello, Buffy,” the rogue rumbled.

     He rose to his full height, approaching Buffy and touching noses warmly with her. As he glanced away, he seemed to finally notice Tigerstar. He stiffened, muscles tensing. Tigerstar responded in kind, wondering whether he could take this massive rogue in a fight.

     “Easy,” Buffy cautioned, gazing between the toms. “Tigerstar, this is Vine. Vine, this is Tigerstar. He's the leader of a Clan of forest cats. He came to talk to you.”

     Vine relaxed as soon as Buffy introduced Tigerstar. He sat, looking more at ease as he gave a friendly wave of his tail. Tigerstar noticed that the tip of it was shorter than usual, a bald scar on the tip as though part had been bitten off. “Nice to meet you,” the tom rumbled. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

     Tigerstar sat more cautiously, still wary of the large rogue. “I've come to find cats to recruit to my Clan,” he began. Vine listened with interest, ears perked and eyes gleaming.

     When Tigerstar finished, Vine rumbled, “I have lived alone ever since I was a kit. But it's always been a lonely life.” He glanced at Buffy, adding, “I've made friends with some of the local kittypets. Sometimes, I considered letting twolegs take me in. But I never could bring myself to fully trust them.”

     “I was going to move in with Vine, when I was running away from my twolegs,” Buffy told Tigerstar. “He's a very old friend of mine, and I knew he would help me learn to survive and provide for my kits out here.”

     Vine nodded, giving a fond purr. “I would have welcomed the company. But now, it seems you're set on joining this Clan.”

     “Yes,” Buffy said. She brushed muzzles with the rogue, mewing, “I'm sorry, but I think a Clan is the best place I can raise my kits. But you can come too. You fight and hunt better than any cat I know. You'd be good warrior.”

     Vine gave a friendly purr as Buffy touched noses with him. As she pulled back, he looked up at Tigerstar, his green gaze thoughtful. “You said your Clan feeds the kits and elders first?” he asked curiously. “And that your cats live and fight together?”

     Tigerstar nodded. “Yes. The warrior code tells us the weakest cats must be fed first, and our warriors must defend their Clanmates and the warrior code above all things.”

     The rogue nodded thoughtfully. “That sounds like a good way to live,” he murmured. “Better than rogues digging for scraps and fight over every mouthful. And if this is the way a Clan lives, kits can be protected first by every cat, instead of a mother having to be wary of leaving her kits alone because she doesn't trust the rogues in the area. Every cat looking out for each other.”

     Tigerstar began to relax as he heard the rogue speak. There was a nobility to the rogue's speech that reminded Tigerstar of his own father as leader. “So you'll join?” he asked.

     Vine watched Tigerstar thoughtfully for a moment. Finally, he dipped his head in assent. “Yes. I want to help Buffy and her kits. And if Clan life is truly the way you say it is, then I want to be a part of that.”

     Tigerstar couldn't help but feel pleased. As untrusting as his Clanmates might be of the intimidating-looking rogue, he got the feeling that this powerful, noble cat would make a fine warrior. “Good,” he mewed. “ShadowClan will welcome you.”

     Buffy stood. “Come on,” she mewed. “The others will be waiting for us.” Vine dipped his head in agreement. Tigerstar and Vine rose to their paws, following Buffy as she led them away.

     It didn't take them long to reach the fish food place; the sun had set completely by then. Tigerstar could see what it was named that; the den smelled strongly of fish; it made him curl his lip. Behind the den waited a small collection of cats. Callie, Sophie, Mindy, and Pepper were all feasting on scraps of fish, looking up as Tigerstar and Buffy approached. “Hey,” Callie mewed with a friendly flick of her ear. “Are we going to ShadowClan now?”

     Tigerstar looked over all of his new recruits for a moment. Some of them were softer than he would have liked. But all of them were eager to join, and he knew he had to be grateful for all the help he could get.

     “Yes,” he mewed. “We're going to ShadowClan.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, I wrote these all before posting them, so here's another one.
> 
> I love getting to write these guys as kittypets with their original names. I was looking up names for female cats, and I found Callie as short for Calico, which is the pelt type that Callie has, so I thought that was perfect. ^^ And Sophie seemed perfect for such a sweet cat.
> 
> More coming now, again.


	32. Bonus Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tigerstar takes his new recruits to ShadowClan.

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 3: Waning Moon  
Bonus Chapter Four

     Cats looked up as Tigerstar entered the camp. The kittypets were following behind Tigerstar, wearing various expressions of excitement and uneasiness. Applefur's hackles began raising, and Dawnpelt gave a low growl. “What is this?” the cream she-cat asked her brother. Her Clanmates padded forward, murmuring as they looked at the new arrivals.

     “These are kittypets from the twolegplace,” Tigerstar called out to his Clan. He saw Twigclaw emerge from the medicine den, understanding lighting in his eyes as he saw the kittypets. “They have agreed to join ShadowClan.”

     Cries of confusion broke from the listening cats. “Why did you bring them here?” Toadfoot cried, nose wrinkled. “We don't need any kittypets!”

     “They smell funny!” Minkpaw growled, lip curled. “Don't tell me I have to sleep with that stink in my den!”

     Tigerstar growled, lashing his tail for silence. “That's enough!” He bounded away, swarming up the tree near his den onto the Tall Branch, which hung over his den, and where he made his announcements. There was no need for a formal call, as every cat was already out of their dens, so he just growled, “Everyone, gather around!”

     His Clanmates approached the tree, muttering to each other. Buffy and the kittypets held back, looking uncertain. When Tigerstar gestured them closer with his tail, they approached. “Ever since Shrewfoot and her followers left us, we have only had five warriors,” he told his Clan. “With all the apprentices who need mentors, and the elders and my kit needing to be fed, that isn't nearly enough. We need more warriors to survive. I asked these cats to join us because I care more about our Clan's survival than about any mouse-brained notions of pure blood or who deserves to be a warrior because of where they come from.”

     Tigerstar looked out to each kittypet, calling to his warriors, “Buffy is expecting. Her kits will be raised as warriors of our Clan, born and raised entirely in the marshland. Vine is a rogue; he can hunt and fight as well as any warrior, and can help us survive through the cold season. Mindy and Pepper are already fine hunters; they only need to learn to refine their techniques, and the ways of ShadowClan. And Callie and Sophie have the enthusiasm of any warrior in training. With time, they will make fine warriors.”

     “Fine warriors indeed!” Toadfoot sneered, narrowing his eyes at Callie and Sophie. They shifted uncomfortably at his glare. “These two don't look like any warriors I've ever seen. No tail on that one, and the other looks more weasel than cat. We don't need twolegplace's rejects. Send them back.”

     Sophie glared at him, while Callie cried in indignation, “We're no one's rejects! Just because we look different than you doesn't mean we're any less capable.”

     “How is a cat with no tail supposed to climb trees?” Applefur growled. “You can't use your tail to land safely.”

     Callie looked at the brown she-cat impatiently. “I'm not quite as coordinated at landing, but I'm not some clumsy dog,” she retorted. “I can climb and run just as well as any cat.”

     “And I can too,” Sophie insisted. She had to tilt her chin up to meet any warrior's eye, but there was a determined set to her jaw. “I'll work harder than any cat. I just want to learn to be a warrior. I promise, I can do it.”

     Tigerstar told his Clan, “I believe these cats can be great warriors. And the simple truth of it is, we won't survive leafbare with how few cats we have left. We _need_ more cats, and we have willing volunteers right here. We would be foolish to turn them away.”

     “Tigerstar is right.” Everyone turned to look at Olivenose. The deputy was sitting just outside of the nursery, Aspenkit mewling at her paws. She had one paw on her kit's back, running it soothingly down her back, but her gaze was focused on her Clan. “We can't survive without more cats, and Tigerstar has found us new cats. I think this is the right choice for our Clan.”

     Some of the cats immediately calmed as they heard the reassurance of their deputy. Tigerstar felt a twinge of guilt; Olivenose had been more of a leader in the last two moons than he had, and his Clanmates had more trust in her now than him. “I think it's a good idea,” he heard Specklefoot mew. “We need more hunters; who cares if they're kittypets.”

     “That gray-and-white tom is massive,” Dewfrost murmured. “He'd send any enemy cat running.”

     Smokepaw was nodding to herself, and Tigerstar saw Adderpaw and Nightpaw approaching Sophie, speaking to her in a friendly manner. But Toadfoot was still glaring at the newcomers, and Minkpaw and Graypaw were turning their noses up, stalking away from the new cats. Stripedpaw glared at the new cats, growling low in his throat.

     Tigerstar saw Buffy break away from the crowd, trotting towards Olivenose. “Good stars, what are you doing?” the cream she-cat exclaimed, looking outraged. “You look like you only gave birth days ago. You and your kit need to be inside, resting.” Olivenose opened her mouth, about to argue, but Buffy cut her off firmly. “No excuses. That kit needs you looking after her, and you look like you're about to fall over. Come on.” Tigerstar was amused to see Olivenose looking baffled as she was herded into the nursery by the determined kittypet.

     His attention was drawn back to his Clan as Smokepaw called out, “Will they be given their fulls names?”

     Tigerstar hesitated. As much as he wanted these cats to be seen as full warriors, he knew he was already forcing his Clanmates to accept a lot as it was. Giving the newcomers full names right away would be too much. “No, not yet,” he meowed. “I'll give them names before the Gathering. But not tonight.” He flicked his tail dismissively. “All of you, get some sleep. Show your new Clanmates to their dens. Sophie will sleep with the apprentices, and Buffy in the nursery, but the rest are in the warrior's den. In the morning, we will show our new Clanmates how ShadowClan lives.”

     He could see Specklefoot and Dewfrost nodding, and Nightpaw and Adderpaw were leading Sophie to the apprentice's den, chattering easily with her. But Toadfoot had turned away in disgust, and Minkpaw spit at Sophie as she passed. He could see that not every cat was going to accept things so easily.

     He only hoped that they would soon come to see that, for once, he was trying to be the leader they deserved.

**SCENEBREAK**

     “Smell anything yet?”

     Callie shook her head, looking frustrated. “Not yet,” she admitted. Beside her, Graypaw shook his head, growling his disappointment.

     Tigerstar had decided to take Callie and Graypaw on a quick training session that evening around dusk. The day had been spent teaching the new recruits about the warrior code, showing them the territory, and removing their collars. But now, it was time to start teaching them to hunt. He knew Callie needed the practice, and Graypaw had only just become an apprentice. Even so, his boldness at trying new things, and his quickness to adapt, impressed Tigerstar. He was considering making the young tom his own apprentice that night, once he sorted out who would be mentoring each apprentice. But for now, he was just giving both cat a run-through of how to hunt.

     “That's alright,” Tigerstar told them. “Just keep your ears perked and keep tasting the air. You have to keep all of your senses alert when you're in the forest. You never know when you're going to find prey; or enemies.”

     Suddenly, Callie paused. Her nose was twitching, ears flicking around. “I think I smell something.”

     Tigerstar lifted his muzzle opening his jaws and tasting the air. The scent of frog was drifting towards them on a breeze. Graypaw was sniffing the air too, giving Callie an irritated glare. “Very good,” Tigerstar praised. “Can you tell me what it is?”

     Callie shook her head, but Graypaw answered quickly, “It's a frog!”

     Tigerstar nodded. Graypaw was intelligent, but his aggression towards the new cats worried Tigerstar. “Good. Callie smelled it first, so she gets to try and catch it.” At Graypaw's glare, he mewed, “You'll get your chance, Graypaw. But this is Callie's catch.”

     The kittypet looked uncertain for a moment. Tigerstar approached, murmuring to her so Graypaw didn't hear. “Just remember what I told you. Crouch low, balance your weight, and use the shadows to hide you.”

     After a moment, Callie nodded, looking determined. She crouched, creeping forward towards the smell. Tigerstar watched her technique critically. Callie was definitely inexperienced, her crouch oddly balanced and her paws making more noise than they should. But he could see the determination in her expression, and there was strength in her limbs. With some training, he could see her making a good hunter.

     As they followed her, Tigerstar finally caught sight of the frog, sitting by a clump of leaves. It was almost motionless, only the throbbing of its throat showing that it was alive.

     Callie drew herself forward, almost to the frog, when suddenly she lifted her head, her paw stumbling loudly against a twig. The frog hopped out of sight.

     “What was that?” Graypaw hissed, sounding disgusted. “Some great hunter. You let it get away!”

     Tigerstar's heart sank. It had been a very sloppy move. And now, Callie was looking off into the distance, distracted and not even looking sorry for losing the frog. “He's right,” he told Callie reluctantly. “You might've had a chance if you hadn't gotten distracted.” He was starting to wonder, just a little, if he'd made a mistake.

     “Shh!” Callie hissed, flicking an ear for silence. Tigerstar was alerted by her urgent tone. “Can't you hear it!”

     The leader perked his hears, trying to listen. As he did, he froze. In the distance, a cat was wailing in fear.

     “She's right,” he realized. “Someone's in trouble!” Without another word, he took off towards the sound, Callie and Graypaw hard on his heels.

     “Help me!” a cat screeched. He recognized the cry of Minkpaw. The terror in her cry lent speed to Tigerstar's paws. He flew over the marshes, desperate to reach his Clanmates.

     He finally reached the source of the cry. Minkpaw was crouching beside Sophie, both she-cats wailing in terror as a badger bore down on them. They had managed to find some cover in a ditch beneath a large rock, but the badger was scooping away earth with it's massive paws, trying to reach the apprentices.

     “Leave them alone!” Tigerstar leaped at the badger, hurtling into it's flank with all of his strength. The badger stumbled away, roaring in fury. Tigerstar felt a thrill of fear as the creature turned it's snapping jaws on him.

     Before it could bite him, two blurs came crashing into the badger. Tigerstar managed to scramble away as it was struggling to stay on its paws. Callie and Graypaw were snarling at the badger, trying to distract it. Tigerstar could see the fear in Callie's eyes, and Graypaw's; neither cat had ever been in a fight before. But they stood their ground bravely, racing around the badger in different directions and snapping at it to keep it confused.

     Tigerstar glanced back at Minkpaw and Sophie. “Come on!” he growled. The scrambled out from under the rock. Terror was glazing over their eyes, but they raced towards the badger, joining the fight as well. Tigerstar raced in with them, hurtling himself with a might bound on top of the badger.

     The badger roared furiosuly, trying to shake him off. Tigerstar dug his claws into the creature's pelt to stay on. Tigerstar bit down hard between it's shoulder blades, the rest of his cats clawing at it's shoulders and flanks on the ground below. He could hear it bellowing in pain, trying desperately to shake him loose. As it stumbled from a fierce swipe from Callie, Tigerstar was finally thrown loose. He fell to the ground, tumbling against the dirt until he finally skidded to a halt. Panting, and wincing from the bruises, he forced himself back onto his paws.

     With five angry cats facing it, and a heavily bleeding back, the badger was starting to look overwhelmed. Callie was limping, and Minkpaw had a slice on her shoulder, but all four cats were snarling bravely at the badger, swiping at it and forcing it to back up as they kept advancing towards it. On shaky legs, Tigerstar joined his Clanmates, advancing towards the badger with a vicious snarl. “Get out of here!” he snarled at it.

     It swung its head from side to side, looking confused. Then, with a final growl, it turned and bounded away, the cats chasing after it with victorious yowls. They slowed, allowing the badger to flee, disappearing from view as he raced down a slope. Tigerstar listened as its pawsteps faded away into nothing.

     He sagged, panting. His body ached from where he had hit the ground, but otherwise he was unhurt. Callie was sitting, licking her flank where the badger's paw had struck her, and Graypaw was nosing Minkpaw's wounded shoulder. Sophie was shaking, eyes wide and terrified, but she seemed unhurt. “Is everyone alright?” Tigerstar rasped.

     Callie looked up. “I'm fine,” she grunted. “Just bruised, I think.” Minkpaw winced as Graypaw's muzzle brushed her wounded shoulder, but she looked up at Tigerstar, nodding. On closer inspection, he saw that her injury wasn't too deep.

     “Thank StarClan,” he breathed.

     Callie was staring after where the badger had gone with wide eyes. “What was that thing?” she asked, voice shaking.

     “A badger,” Tigerstar told her. “They settle here sometimes, and they're dangerous animals, but we chase them out when we have to.” He gazed at Callie for a moment, gaze also sweeping to Sophie and Graypaw, adding, “You were all very brave. It's not every cat who can take on a badger with no training.”

     Callie and Graypaw's eyes shone with pride, but Sophie just lashed her tail, looking angry. “We shouldn't have had to,” she growled. To Tigerstar's surprise, the gentle she-cat turned a furious glare on Minkpaw. “You brought me here!” she hissed, lashing her tail.

     Minkpaw took a half-step back, eyes wide. “I-it was just a joke!” she gasped, looking terrified.

     Tigerstar approached the young apprentice, fighting to control his anger. “Tell me what you're talking about,” he growled, fixing her with a stern glare.

     “Shrewfoot and I found this old badger's den half a moon ago,” Minkpaw gasped out, shaking from head to toe. “The scents were so old, we thought it was abandoned. I just wanted to scare Sophie a bit. I said I would take her on a tour of the territory, and I shoved her in the den so she'd find the badger scent and think it was in there.” The she-cat took a deep breath, trying to control her shaking. “But it really was there! We ran for it, and we were hiding when you came to find us. I'm sorry!”

     The leader had to fight back his anger. He had known some of his Clanmates were unhappy that they had welcomed kittypets into the Clan, but he hadn't expected any cat to pull a selfish, cruel stunt like this. “You risked Sophie's life,” he growled, looming over the shaking apprentice. “You could have gotten her killed!” Sophie was to the side, Graypaw sitting near her, while Callie watched the leader and Minkpaw uneasily.

     As he glared down the apprentice, Tigerstar's anger began to fade. Minkpaw was shaking like a leaf, her shoulder bleeding from the badger's claws. The attack from the badger had clearly scared her to death. He could see how young she was; with a jolt, he remembered that Shrewfoot had been her mentor. What kind of prejudiced, treacherous thoughts had that foxheart been instilling in her apprentice for the last two moons? And yet, when it had come down to it, Minkpaw had fought against her own mentor and father to defend Tigerstar's place as leader. Maybe what Shrewfoot taught could be washed away, after all.

     He sighed, lowering his hackles. “That was a very selfish thing to do,” he growled, still glaring sternly at the apprentice. “But as long as Sophie forgives you, I think we can let you off with a warning.” Tigerstar lowered his muzzle, growling. “But if you ever do that to one of your Clanmates again, you'll be getting much more than a warning.”

     Minkpaw blinked, looking stunned that she had gotten off so lightly. “Y-yes, Tigerstar!” she squeaked. She glanced over at Sophie, looking uncertain. “I'm really sorry,” she murmured.

     Sophie hesitated. Her pelt was still bristling, anger still gleaming in her eyes. But she also seemed to recognize that Minkpaw was truly scared. She sighed, trotting over towards Minkpaw, butting her head against Minkpaw's chest. “I forgive you,” she mewed.

     Minkpaw let out a breath, still shaking. “Oh, for stars' sake,” Callie mewed. She approached Minkpaw, putting a paw on the apprentice's back to steady her trembling and rasping her tongue between her ears. “You're shaking terribly.” Minkpaw seemed surprised to have the kittypet comforting her, but didn't protest.

     Tigerstar sighed. “Come on,” he murmured, turning away from Minkpaw. “Let's go home.”

**SCENEBREAK**

     “What happened?”  
     “Why is Minkpaw bleeding?”  
     “What's going on?”

     Tigerstar's Clanmates all gathered around the returning patrol, crying out their concern. He stood back, letting the warriors crowd around Minkpaw. Applefur was fussing over her daughter, licking her and mewing soothing words to her. Adderpaw approached his sister, eyes wide.

     The leader bounded away, leaping up onto the Tall Branch. “Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the Tall Branch for a Clan meeting!” he yowled.

     The few cats who hadn't come out of their dens yet emerged, coming to gather under the Tall Branch. Tigerstar saw Olivenose poke her head out from the nursery, only to retreat back inside, Buffy padding out to join the crowd. He was pleased to see Mindy and Pepper moving away from the fresh-kill pile, Mindy leaving a mouse there before she joined the crowd. Vine Once he was sure all of his Clanmates were gathered, Tigerstar began.

     “Today, two of our cats were attacked by a badger,” he called out. “Minkpaw fooled Sophie into a badger's den. Callie, Graypaw and I were able to help them fight it off. The badger fled; I'll send a patrol to check for it later.”

     Adderpaw was staring at his sister, looking hurt, while some cats were glaring at her. Tigerstar flicked his tail for silence. “That's enough. Minkpaw has suffered a nasty shock today. Sophie has forgiven her, and she will receive no punishment.” His tone lightened as he continued, “But Callie, Graypaw, and Sophie all fought very bravely today, even though they have received no battle training. They fought well to defend their Clanmates, as true warriors would do.”

     “It's true,” Graypaw called shyly from the crowd. Tigerstar was surprised to see him speaking up for the kittypets, given his earlier bitterness. “That badger hit Callie hard on the flank, but she didn't back down. She saved me from getting bitten when I was too slow to get out of the way.”

     Callie blinked, looking surprised at the praise. “I just did what any cat would do,” she mewed modestly. “And it wasn't just me. Sophie ran under the badger and swiped at it's belly – I thought it was going to fall on her!” Sophie dipped her head shyly, but Tigerstar could her hear purring proudly from the Great Branch.

     “Mindy and Pepper hunted like warriors today,” Specklefoot added from the crowd. “They brought down a couple of lizards together. And Vine was out patrolling all day.”

     Tigerstar could see his Clanmates nodding to themselves, murmuring to each other and giving the kittypets more friendly glances than before. Applefur had looked up from comforting her daughter, giving Callie a grateful nod. Ratscar had approached Mindy, speaking to her shyly, and even Toadfoot was looking at Callie and Sophie with respect now, Pepper and Vine standing comfortably next to Stripedpaw and Nightpaw. Tigerstar knew this hadn't fixed everything. His Clanmates wouldn't fully accept these outsiders in one day, and prejudice was hard to overcome. But they had taken an important step in proving themselves today. And now he was going to help them take another.

     He leaped down from the branch, standing at the same level as his Clanmates. “I've been a terrible leader for all of you,” he rasped, pelt burning with shame. “I was too stupid and selfish to see how much I was hurting my Clan. My arrogance made me think I was a great leader, but I listened to my own judgment before I listened to you, my Clan. I can't do that again. We need the help of these kittypets, but I won't put my arrogance before the needs of my Clan again. I need to know that you will accept these kittypets before I make them part of my Clan.”

     His Clanmates glanced at each other, murmuring to each other. Specklefoot and Dewfrost stepped forward first, joined quickly by Adderpaw and Nightpaw. “We'll accept them,” Dewfrost said clearly.

     Applefur stepped forward too. “I will accept the cats who helped my daughter, even when she hurt them,” she said clearly.

     Minkpaw looked embarrassed, but sounded sincere as she said, “I was wrong about Sophie, and the kittypets. I'll accept them.”

     More and more of Tigerstar's Clanmates spoke up. “We will accept them!” The kittypets looked overwhelmed by the attention, but soon lifted their heads proudly, soaking in the support of their new Clanmates. Tigerstar knew, looking at them, that the path would be hard to making them into full warriors. But now, he could see that it could be done.

     “Very well,” he called. His mew made the Clan fall into silence. He looked out at the crowd, calling, “Buffy, Callie, Mindy, Pepper, and Vine, step forward now!”

     The kittypets and Vine all came to stand before Tigerstar, heads lifted proudly. In a rumbling tone, Tigerstar began the ceremony. “I, Tigerstar, leader of ShadowClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these cats. They have promised to work hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn.” He looked proudly on his new recruits. “Buffy, Callie, Mindy, Pepper, Vine, do you promise to uphold the warrior code, and to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?”

     Each cat looked at him with determination and pride. He didn't doubt a single cat as they all cried, “I do!” He guessed some cat had taken them through how the ceremony worked earlier in the day.

     “Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior names. Mindy, from this moment on you will be known as Mintleaf. StarClan honors your caution and your intelligence, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ShadowClan.”

     Mintleaf dipped her head, telling Tigerstar rest his chin there. He turned next to Pepper. “Pepper, from this moment on you will be known as Pepperpelt. StarClan honors your curiosity and your loyalty, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ShadowClan.”

     He turned next to Buffy. But before he could speak, she lifted her tail, silencing him. “Don't change my name,” the she-cat said firmly. “I left my house folk so I could raise my kits, but they were good house folk, and they loved me. I'm proud of the name they gave me.”

     Tigerstar hesitated, then dipped his head respectfully. “Very well. Buffy, I affirm your warrior name. StarClan honors your courage and your initiation, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ShadowClan.” Buffy's eyes gleamed with pride. She dipped her head, Tigerstar reaching out his chin to lie between her hears.

     Only two cats were left. “Callie, from this moment on you will be known as Oddtail,” Tigerstar announced.

     There were surprised murmurs from the crowd. “That's a mean name!” Nightpaw called out, sounding angry.

     The tortoiseshell gave a bright _mrowrr_ of laughter. “Oh, I don't mind,” she assured Nightpaw. “I know it looks odd; it's what makes me look unique. And now, I can have a Clan name to be proud of.”

     Tigerstar purr his amusement. He continued, “StarClan honors your cheer and your compassion, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ShadowClan.” He looked next at Vine, who had waited patiently for his own turn, and was looking at his new Clanmates with pride. “Vine, from this moment on you will be known as Vinescar. StarClan honors your wisdom and your compassion, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ShadowClan.” Vinescar dipped his head respectfully to his new leader, purring loudly enough for Tigerstar to hear.

     “Buffy! Mintleaf! Pepperpelt! Oddtail! Vinescar!” ShadowClan was cheering brightly for their new Clanmates, calling out their new names to StarClan above.

     Tigerstar noticed Sophie struggling towards him through the crowd, looking indignant. “Hey, what about me?” she demanded.

     His whiskers twitched. “You aren't twelve moons old yet,” he told Sophie. “So you're still an apprentice. But, I can give you a Clan name.” Tigerstar looked down on Sophie, calling to his Clan, “From this moment on, until she has earned her warrior name, this cat will be known as Stoatpaw!”

     “Stoatpaw! Stoatpaw!” Tigerstar looked upon his cheering Clanmates with pride. For the first time since Shrewfoot had rebelled, he thought his Clan seemed truly united again.

     He sighed, a feeling of peace settling over him. _My Clan is going to be just fine._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow. I finally finished Waning Moon. I am officially halfway done with Echoes of the War. Weird.
> 
> Anywhoo, here's the last bonus chapter for Waning Moon. This is a really long one, and I'm really happy with how it turned out. I love writing these guys, and I hope to write more of them at some point. Maybe I'll work them into the plot somehow... or have I already? ;)
> 
> I'll get started on Trail of Ashes soon, but I can't say how fast I'll be able to get through it. Spring break ends for me tomorrow; I'm driving back to school, and I'll have to focus on schoolwork again, so I can't just sit around writing fanfic all day. And I really want to focus on school and do well. But I want to write fanfic too, so I'll see how much I get done.
> 
> See you guys at Trail of Ashes!


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